Sentinel staff writer

In March, deputies pulled up to a sprawling Scotts Valley home with its tennis court and views of the Monterey Bay. Inside, they found 40 ounces of methamphetamine, an assault rifle and a handgun. They arrested so many people, they ran out of handcuffs.

The arrests were part of what local drug treatment officials believe is a bigger problem — the growing use of methamphetamine in Santa Cruz County, and in the rest of the country.

Friday, the Janus of Santa Cruz treatment program will host a one-day seminar on the topic of methamphetamine use and addiction treatment.

"It’s not a bubble," Jan Tice, director of the Janus treatment program, said of local methamphetamine use. "It’s a problem that is going to have some long-term staying power and we’d better get to work on it."

More than a quarter of the 1,000 people who come into Janus for treatment each year now list methamphetamine as their drug of choice, he said.

At the county treatment program, that number is only 18 percent (465 people), with alcohol and heroin the drugs of choice, according to Lynn Harrison, substance abuse program manager.

But the number of meth users who came to the county clinic increased over last year, she said.

Experts are worried.

Methamphetamine’s popularity may come because it is something of a bargain drug. It’s easy to make, cheap to buy and the high lasts a long time.

Made from a toxic combination of easy-to-buy chemicals — things like paint thinner, camp stove fuel, lye, battery acid and over-the-counter cold tablets — an "eight ball," or eighth of an ounce of meth, sells for $60 to $80 on the street, Tice said. That’s much cheaper than cocaine, with a high that goes on a lot longer.

"A cocaine high lasts about 10 minutes. A meth high can last a good two to three hours," Tice said.

While nationwide, most of those arrested for meth use are white males, Tice’s program sees an even mix of men and women who come in for treatment — most of them in their late 20s and early 30s.

Women often start using because they are not only holding down a job, but raising their children, and the meth seems like an easy pick-me-up, according to Tice.

"They’re just tired," Tice said.

Sometimes, they also start using in order to lose weight.

Men, on the other hand, often start using for the rush and to augment sex, Tice said.

"It’s a real feel of power and control," he said.

One of the side effects of the drug — besides a burst of energy, lack of appetite and a sense of well-being — is that it acts as a sexual stimulant, Tice said. But over time, the effect fades.

In fact, a chronic user will often become impotent.

Methamphetamine is also hard on the brain, bringing on paranoia and depression after long-term use. Damage caused to the brain by meth use is similar to the damage caused by Alzheimer’s, stroke and epilepsy, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Treatment is tough.

"There is an intense craving with this drug," Tice said. "Meth has a really high relapse rate."

So counselors use a variety of methods. They work to keep motivation strong, reward addicts for staying in treatment and work to change behavior patterns, Tice said.

"We look at what behaviors support recovery and those that don’t," Tice said.

Friday’s seminar will include a discussion of the local problem, psychiatric and health consequences, and the role of spirituality in recovery.

Back in the ’60s, said Tice, there was a big push to discourage meth use. In fact, the old "speed kills" slogan became part of the language.

"But there is a whole, younger generation of people in their 20s and 30s, who don’t seem to get that message," Tice said.

"It’s about time to put it back out again."

Contact Peggy Townsend at ptownsend@santacruzsentinel.com.

12-17 ... 1.5 percent

18-25 ... 5.7 percent

26-34 ... 6.7 percent

35 and older ... 5.5 percent

States responsible for the largest number of meth labs

California