Public Health Consequences and National Trends in Illicit Methamphetamine Production and Use, 2001-2008. The Results from Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system

Illegal methamphetamine (meth) is a very addictive stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. It can be easily made in inconspicuous places where its production endangers the users, neighbors, and the environment. Anti-meth legislation and public health actions have occurred in the United States during the last decade to try to reduce its production and harm.

Data from states participating in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system were used to analyze the trends in illegal meth-labs associated incidents and the public health consequences. Of the total HSEES events from 2001 to 2008 (n=66,588), 3.6% (n=2,373) were meth-related. The percent of reported events dropped from 3.3% in 2001 to 1.3% in 2008 with the peak of 5.8% in 2003. Over 68.3% of incidents occur in residential areas. There was a shift over the ten year period with a decrease in transportation-related meth events (from 13.8% to 1.9%).

Of the 2,373 meth incidents, 541 (22.8%) resulted in a total of 902 injured persons and 18 deaths. The percentage of events with injuries consistently declined from 37.0% in 2001 to 11.4% in 2008, with no deaths reported within the last year.

The sustained law enforcement pressure and State and Federal directed chemical restrictions, contributed to continuing decreases of domestic methamphetamine production and associated injuries within the United States. Public health and legislative efforts should continue to sustain decreases.