Methamphetamine Crisis in Marathon

County

By: Jacob
McKenzie
Zach
Tran
 History (Zach
Messimer)
Developed in Japan in 1919.

Took off during WWII, when it was predominantly used to keep troops
awake.

Initially prescribed as a diet aid and combated depression in the 1950’s.

Pattern as a whole changed significantly in the 1960’s due to increased

injectable meth.

U.S. made it illegal in the 1970’s, but then American motorcycle gangs
controlled the trafficking of it and how it was being produced.
 History (Zach Messimer)
According to drug investigators in Marathon County, a good majority of the meth in central Wisconsin is
imported in through the Twin Cities from Mexico.

Central Wisconsin used to have a problem with meth labs in the area, but since the federal government changed
the number of ingredients you can buy going to the store, more operations have been caught. Ultimately this has
reduced the number of labs. This doesn’t necessarily mean the individual cases have gone down though.

In 2011, there were 9 possession of meth cases in Marathon County. In 2018, 227 cases were reported. That’s almost
25 times the amount in a matter of 7 years.

In 2019, high school students in Marathon County have even reported using meth at some point in the past 12
months. Approximately 2% of all students in Marathon County have popped up on this survey, according to Youth
Risk Behavior Survey. That means around 53 students have experimented with meth.
Interview Questions (Officer Schremp) (Zach
Messimer)
1. Do you know anybody personally that has, or is on the way to ruining their life off meth? A: No, but talking to people
who have loved one’s that are addicted to meth. It’s truly devastating for their families.
2. Do you know how long ago meth first became an epidemic (in the area)? A: Meth has always been present in our
area, but over this past decade, that’s where it’s really taken off to call it a “epidemic.”
3. What makes meth attractive for users to constantly want to go back to it? A: Since it’s relatively cheap compared to
other hard drugs, along with all of the dopamine it releases off in the brain makes it so hard to break for users.
4. Where is meth mostly being imported from that’s making it an issue in our community? A: With some of the most
recent cases we’ve ran into, we’ve found it to come from St. Paul, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, etc. It’s mostly starting in
the major cities.
5. Do you know where meth is mostly available for users? A: Mostly, meth has been uncovered in drug trafficking
houses, or major operations as a whole. Most users have connections to these places to get their drugs, and
immediately leave.
6. How have the punishments in law enforcement changed over the years for somebody possessing meth? A: I know
in the 1970’s, that’s when our country has started cracking down on making it illegal. Possessing meth nowadays is
considered a federal crime, so at minimum people will sit in prison for at least 5 years.
Main Program in Marathon County (McKenzie Waldhart)

Meth-lab cleanup program

● Meth chemical storage containers were placed in six counties including Marathon County
● Containers are provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
● Meth-lab cleanup is costly due to the use of high quality equipment to get rid of hazardous
waste during the production of meth
● Containers are suppose to help save law enforcement time,money, and increase their safety
● Containers help reduce the cost of the cleanup by approximately 90%
● Containers will help save resources for law enforcement and also save taxpayers money
● On average to cleanup one meth lab it is about $3,000 but with the help of the containers it
reduced the price to average around $300 to clean a single meth lab
● Now law enforcement can transfer the waste to the containers which cuts overtime hours and
helps restore the safety of the community faster
Causes
Methamphetamine use can be traced back to mostly environmental causes such
as early life exposure, peer pressure, and other life crisis.

Addiction to methamphetamine: “Methamphetamine creates more of the chemical

dopamine in your brain. These large amounts of dopamine can change the way
the brain works and can lead you to look for the drug again and again.” (“Mind
Matters: The Body's Response to Methamphetamine”, 3/11/20)
Myah Ness ADV.EMT/FIRE
1. What kind of drug overdoses do you encounter in the area?
Meth, heroin, and prescription pills for the most part
2. Can you tell in the ambulance what drugs an individual is on if they don’t tell you?
You have a pretty good idea just based off of symptoms
3. How often do you experience methamphetamine overdoses?
More heroin than anything else, but meth overdoses are far from rare
4. What are the typical symptoms of a methamphetamine overdose?
Spaztic, massive amounts of paranoia, high energy
 Survey (Tran)

This survey was taken in Matt Talbot Recovery Center - Mens Residential, a rehab center
in Milwaukee, WI, and based on 20 participants. It was conducted to understand the life of
Methamphetamine addicts before going to rehab center.
● Nearly 20 million American addicts that haven’t received treatment.
● In 2014 The White House and the Office of National Drug Control Policy
announced that the Affordable Care Act would start to cover substance abuse
under health care options. However, this coverage is for a limited number of
treatments at very limited number of treatment facilities.
● 2.5 million people crowd our jails and prisons, ⅔ of whom have abused drugs,
meth and alcohol.
The Anti-
Meth
project.
METH,
GO AWAY
(Tran)

Together, we prevent Methamphetamine!

Meth in Wisconsin

● Last year, about 1 in every 5 drug cases at

the Wisconsin State Crime Labs involved
meth — more than heroin and fentanyl
combined.
● Wisconsin is well positioned for the illicit
drug pipeline — receiving shipments from
both Chicago and Minneapolis that leaves
virtually no part of the state untouched.
What is the Anti-Meth project?
The Anti-meth project is a program co-founded by four businessmen Tran,
T., Waldhart, M., Joannon, J., and Messimer, Z. as a private-sector response to a
critical public health issue. The project conducted in collaboration with Drug
Free Communities in Marathon County.

METH
Aims

1. Preventing the increase in meth users in Wisconsin.

2. Educating youth on the serious dangers of using methamphetamine even one time.

3. Making treatment more available for methamphetamine users.

4. Expanding treatment for the incarcerated.

Approach
Every day, people are faced with the decision to try Meth. Many perceive benefits in
using the drug, but little to no risk. This is the root of the problem. The goal of the Anti-
Meth Project is to arm teens and young adults across the state with the facts about
methamphetamine so that they can make well-informed decisions when presented with the
opportunity to try it.
Impact
The Anti-Meth Project has been credited with significant declines in Meth use in
Wisconsin. Since the Project's launch, teen Meth use has declined by 73%, adult Meth use
has declined by 72%, Meth-related crime has decreased by 62%.

The project was named the 3rd most effective philanthropy in the world by Barron's.

The project has established 16 rehab centers with professional medical teams throughout
the state.

The project has had 4 facilities to assist detoxification for the incarcerated.
Anti-Meth Project
Thank you for your interest in the Anti-Meth Project. For more information on how you
can become involved in our work against Meth, visit the Get Involved page or contact us
directly.

Call (715) 721-2538

(888) 366-6384 Toll Free

Address 1000 W Campus Dr, Wausau, WI 54401

Email info@antimeth.org