Patterns of methamphetamine production among an international sample of methamphetamine 'cooks'.

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Title:	Patterns of methamphetamine production among an international sample of methamphetamine 'cooks'.
Authors:	Puljević, Cheneal (AUTHOR), Zahnow, Renee (AUTHOR), Benfer, Isabella (AUTHOR), Winstock, Adam R. (AUTHOR), Maier, Larissa J. (AUTHOR), Barratt, Monica J. (AUTHOR), Ferris, Jason (AUTHOR)
Source:	Drug & Alcohol Review. Nov2021, Vol. 40 Issue 7, p1287-1293. 7p. 2 Charts.
Subjects:	Methamphetamine, Male cooks, Cooks, Descriptive statistics
Abstract:	Introduction and Aims: The illicit manufacture of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories is associated with significant risks to the community and environment. Currently little is known about clandestine laboratories or the individual 'cooks' who operate them; current research directly engaging with cooks is limited to three qualitative studies with small samples (n < 24) of cooks based in the USA. This descriptive brief report starts to address this knowledge gap by exploring characteristics of an international sample of self‐identified methamphetamine cooks. Design and Methods: Using data from the 2017 and 2018 Global Drug Surveys, we identified 125 individuals from 24 countries who reported past manufacture of methamphetamine. We explored respondents' socio‐demographic characteristics and patterns of methamphetamine production using descriptive statistics. Results: The majority of methamphetamine cooks were male (82%) and Caucasian (70%) and, contrary to previous studies, 43% were employed and 51% had at least a high school certificate. Cooks most commonly sourced precursors from pharmacies (50%), followed by friends (24%). Almost half of the cooks (47%) produced methamphetamine exclusively for self‐consumption. Discussion and Conclusions: The heterogeneous nature of the sample and varying precursor sources reflect the limitations of existing regulations aimed at limiting methamphetamine production. These findings point to the need for innovative and multi‐faceted efforts aimed at reducing and preventing the harms associated with methamphetamine manufacture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
	Copyright of Drug & Alcohol Review is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database:	Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

Description
Abstract:	Introduction and Aims: The illicit manufacture of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories is associated with significant risks to the community and environment. Currently little is known about clandestine laboratories or the individual 'cooks' who operate them; current research directly engaging with cooks is limited to three qualitative studies with small samples (n < 24) of cooks based in the USA. This descriptive brief report starts to address this knowledge gap by exploring characteristics of an international sample of self‐identified methamphetamine cooks. Design and Methods: Using data from the 2017 and 2018 Global Drug Surveys, we identified 125 individuals from 24 countries who reported past manufacture of methamphetamine. We explored respondents' socio‐demographic characteristics and patterns of methamphetamine production using descriptive statistics. Results: The majority of methamphetamine cooks were male (82%) and Caucasian (70%) and, contrary to previous studies, 43% were employed and 51% had at least a high school certificate. Cooks most commonly sourced precursors from pharmacies (50%), followed by friends (24%). Almost half of the cooks (47%) produced methamphetamine exclusively for self‐consumption. Discussion and Conclusions: The heterogeneous nature of the sample and varying precursor sources reflect the limitations of existing regulations aimed at limiting methamphetamine production. These findings point to the need for innovative and multi‐faceted efforts aimed at reducing and preventing the harms associated with methamphetamine manufacture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	09595236
DOI:	10.1111/dar.13205