Narcotics officers with the LAPD Central Division intercepted a massive shipment of meth that officials say was headed toward Skid Row, a month after a raid in the area led to the recovery of 43 pounds of meth.
Skid Row in DTLA has seen an uptick in meth use in recent years. In 2022, Los Angeles County health officials say, meth contributed to a staggering 63% of all Skid Row deaths, surpassed only by fentanyl overdoses. During that same period, according to the agency’s website, Los Angeles was among the cities with the highest percentages of meth seized.
According to death certificate data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of deaths in Los Angeles listing drug overdose as the underlying cause of death with meth poisoning as a cause of death increased 1,371% from 88 in 2011 to 1,294 in 2021. The percentage of all underlying drug overdose deaths that listed meth poisoning as a cause of death increased from 13% in 2011 to 56% in 2021, according to LA County health statistics.
Crystal meth is not only killing addicts on Skid Row, it is also being made and exported all over the world by L.A. traffickers, federal officials say.