The illegal sale of methamphetamine in Connecticut is growing, with nearly 14 pounds of the drug seized by state narcotics agents since July of 2012.
That meth haul represents a dramatic increase over the same time period for the previous year, when state narcotics officers confiscated 5 ounces of meth, according to the Danbury News Times.
The drug is gaining alarming popularity in the state because it's relatively cheap and produces a euphoric high for hours, experts told the newspaper.
The use and sale of the drug also cuts across all socio-economic boundaries, the newspaper states, citing health and mental health care professionals.
"This is a feel-good drug," said Dr. Gary Blick, an HIV/AIDS specialist and internist. "It's inexpensive, it takes away inhibitions and its effects last for hours. So you want to use it over and over and over again."
One of those caught up in last year's meth stings was Kevin Wallin, a priest who was allegedly part of a nation-wide meth distribution ring and who federal prosecutors say bought a North Haven porn shop and used it to launder some of his drug money.