The Craig Daily Press

Meth users turning to cocaine

GRAMNET officials say people view drug as a safer alternative

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Law enforcement agencies and community service groups are adequately
spreading the word about the ill effects of methamphetamine. So much so,
that people experimenting with drugs are sometimes choosing a narcotic just
as dangerous.

Cocaine.

"The interesting thing we're seeing now is, with meth getting all the bad
publicity, the view is it's a safer alternative," said Dusty Schulze, task
force commander of the Greater Routt and Moffat Narcotic Enforcement Team.
"In reality, it's just as dangerous.

"It's almost accepted. (Users) first response is at least I'm not doing
meth.'"

An interesting statistic in GRAMNET's annual enforcement report, recently
released to municipalities in Craig, Hayden and Steamboat Springs, was that
the task force seized nearly three times as much cocaine in 2006, about
25.96 ounces, or $52,000, than it did methamphetamine, about 9 ounces, or
$17,800.

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