PORT TOWNSEND — Like much of the nation, Jefferson County is riddled with a drug problem that doesn’t seem to be going away.

“Ninety percent of our drug cases are meth cases,” said David Miller, a Jefferson County sheriff’s detective.

“Sometimes it feels like you’re running around putting out fires while the arsonist is running around setting them.”

Drug tastes have changed in recent years from cocaine to methamphetamine, said Miller, and the effects have proved more devastating on individual and societal levels.

“It’s not only the most predominant drug in the county, but it’s the one that causes the most problems,” Miller said.

He said of the roughly 50 people currently in Jefferson County Jail in Port Hadlock, at least half are there on meth-related charges — whether the person was caught in possession of meth or burglarized a building to get money to support a meth addiction.

Meth on downswing

Recently, though, the manufacturing of meth is on the downswing in the county, said Miller, because of two reasons.

New regulations on over-the-counter colds and sinus medicines that contain ephedrine and psudoephedrine, which are used to produce meth, have cut off access to these drugs.

They are now kept behind pharmacy counters and buyers must sign their names when purchasing the medications.

Also, Miller said high quality meth is being imported from Mexico that is taking away the need for what he called small, personal “Beavis and Butt-head labs” to exist.

In past years, Jefferson County raided about six meth labs per year, but now only one or two are discovered and closed down.

Meth dealing

But dealing and usage are still paramount issues in the county.

Miller said meth dealers usually sell small amounts — sixteenth of an ounce quantities for about $80 each — to support their habits.

Many people, once addicted to the drug, begin to sell meth and get others addicted to it, Miller said.

“That’s how it spreads like a cancer,” he said.