Regular patrons at Spring Point Tavern expressed surprise about the recent drug bust that took place at the restaurant, which is near SMCC.  “I can’t believe that someone would sell Meth during working hours, like a pound and a half. That’s just crazy,” said one patron who spoke to The Beacon last week. Another patron said “I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that this was going on. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“How could this happen, how long did this happen for, and what led to this disaster,” said another anonymous patron.  “I find it concerning the quantity and variety of illicit substances being sold so close to campus. I’m thankful the person was apprehended. I haven’t heard/read anything about the outcome and I see that the establishment is still open.”

At first glance, the Spring Point Tavern seems pretty small and doesn’t look like it could fit that many people inside. However, the Tavern is arranged in a way that makes a small building feel more spacious on the inside. It’s a very comfortable place to hang out. All of the patrons and staff are extremely nice and generous. Most of the customers range from students who are 21+, employees who work at the local auto body shop, or any typical customer who lives within the South Portland area. All of this makes it even more shocking that the tavern was used to distribute large quantities of Methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant that is extremely addictive and effective. Typically users use meth by smoking, injecting, and snorting the substance. When an individual uses, they start to experience a feeling of euphoria. That is due to the rise of dopamine levels in the brain. The dopamine releases a rewarding feeling which makes users want to keep taking more.

According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration), there are various health risks and factors when an individual starts using meth. Regardless of how chronic an individual  is using the substance, there are going to be short term and long term effects. Meth is a very dangerous drug & substance that can ultimately change the trajectory of one’s life; due to how addictive and strong it is.

Short Term effects include increase blood pressure, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, and aggressive behavior. Long term effects include permanent hear and brain damage, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, lung and liver damage, anxiety, paranoia, insomnia, hallucinations, dental problems, and death.

To follow up on The Beacon’s recent reporting on the incident, reporters Grayson Fuller and Zach Cullen went down to the Spring Point Tavern and talked to Crystal Morrgan, the bar’s manager. She informed both of us that we were one of the only reporters who came down to ask questions about the recent incident.

Were you aware of the activity your manager was involved in?

“I think we had some suspicions. Back in December 2022, Mikey had come to us and said he had some personal stuff going on. We had also expressed some concerns about what we were seeing, weird behavior, stuff like that.  A few weeks later, He had officially stepped away from managing.Overall, I think most of us had some suspicion, but we just couldn’t pinpoint what was going on.”

How many students on average come into the tavern? 

“Not many considering that most of the students are underage. We had a point of time where there were tons of students coming in and bringing Fake ID’s.  So we had the South Portland Police come down, and provide a scare tactic to prevent this from happening again. The tavern is also under a restaurant license, which allows anyone who is underage to be present during day time hours.”

How does this situation make you feel? Has it impacted your personal life? 

“Personally… Disappointed. I think that’s the biggest thing, it makes you feel disappointed. Because who you think someone is, and who they truly turned out to be — it just leaves you shocked. It just doesn’t make sense. There’s a little bit of disappointment because you had hoped for the best for them.” 

How would you describe the mood or atmosphere of the tavern changed after the incident? 

“Actually, the atmosphere is pretty much the same. We haven’t seen a lot of changes due to the fact we are a community bar. We have always been good about trying to keep this a nice, clean place to be. We have had in the past some customers that we had to ban for life because we found out they were bringing [illegal] stuff into the bar. So we really haven’t seen a whole lot of change in that way — we do get a lot of questions about the incident. Overall, the customers that come in are extremely nice, and very supportive.” 

What measures if any have been placed for this not to happen again? 

“We had a lot of rules put in place before, so I think this situation has only enhanced the procedures – We immediately reached out to the DEA, law enforcement and offered full cooperation and support. Whatever they needed, we wanted to give our full support. Once the news report came out, it shocked all of us since we initially heard about it through Facebook. It just really surprised us because Mikey had hardly come into the tavern since he wasn’t managing anymore.” 

This incident left employees at the tavern shocked, concerned and disappointed. Many might not know how to respond to this situation. In a way, this can help the Portland and South Portland community educate themselves on the dangers of this addictive drug, while also staying alert about any activity that may seem suspicious.