New Candy Drug Hits West Coast

According to Q13 Fox News, a new type of methamphetamine has made it to the west coast. Police say the new form of methamphetamine is known as candy methamphetamine or "Strawberry Quick" on the streets. The drug is cooked and flavored to look a lot like rock candy.

This new drug is intended to hook kids and police and the Attorney's General office in Washington is on high alert. Attorney General Rob McKenna says, "It is despicable to market methamphetamine to anybody, but particularly abhorrent to consciously market it toward kids." Paul Petersen of the Kent Police Department says, "And to flavor this deadly drug is really insidious, eating its way into our society and destroying us within."

This new form of methamphetamine was discovered in a drug-related crime in Carson City, Nevada on January 30, 2007. Some teenagers in the San Francisco area have admitted to using the candy drug flavored with chocolate. Some have even admitted to cooking the drug with Coca-Cola and other flavors of soda. The drug is flavored to mask the bad taste of methamphetamine. As of yet, the candy methamphetamine has not made it to western Washington, but police say it is only a matter of time.

Authorities say the candy methamphetamine has only been around since the beginning of the year and has the effects have already been felt in health clinics. Dr. Alex Stalcup, a nationally well-known drug therapist has just begun to see teenage patients who have experienced the ill effects of the candy drug. Dr. Alex Stalcup said one of his patients did not know the substance was methamphetamine at all. The patient claimed he was told it was a solid form of the energy drink Red Bull. Dr. Stalcup said, "This is clearly a drug to be introduced to children."

Amanda Zwink, a 17 year old, says, "I have never heard of the candy drug before today". Tim Flynn, a 15 year old, says, "I think it is horrible. People doing drugs and stuff, it's not good in our neighborhood." Experts believe 18 to 25 year olds are the most likely individuals to use the extremely addictive drug.