Behind San Diego’s sunny image of swaying palm trees and beautiful beaches is a drug subculture so pervasive the region was once known as “the Meth Capital of the Nation.” Methamphetamine: From the Streets of San Diego explores the underground world of methamphetamine and exposes its San Diego connection.

The documentary traces the drug’s history and uncovers how San Diego became a hub of meth manufacturing, consumption and distribution. It features interviews with a meth “cook” and former addicts and includes riveting police footage of meth-related crimes such as the 1995 tank rampage that finally opened the public eye to meth on the streets of San Diego.

The film received the 1999 Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary from the Southwest Regional Emmy Awards and also received First Place for Investigative Reporting in Television from the San Diego Press Club.