Pubdate: Fri, 07 Jun 2002
Source: News-Enterprise, The (KY)
Copyright: 2002 News-Enterprise
Contact:  http://www.newsenterpriseonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1663
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?194 (Hutchinson, Asa)

ALL AGENCIES ASKED TO ATTACK METH PROBLEM

LEXINGTON -- Kentucky's methamphetamine problem will continue to grow 
unless the battle is intensified at the local level, state and federal 
officials said earlier this week.

"All of the federal resources we receive are a huge help in our continuing 
fight against methamphetamine," said Steve Pence, U.S. attorney for the 
Western District of Kentucky.

"But we also have to have state law enforcement and local sheriff's offices 
and police departments and even the residents in high-intensity communities 
participate at increasing levels if we really want to get a handle on this."

In the little more than a year since he took office, Hardin County 
Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Shaw has seen meth become the county's 
fastest-growing drug. But he said court officials and law enforcement are 
doing what they can to fight use and production.

"Short of additional state funding for more officers to help fight meth, 
everything in this area that can be done is being done," he said.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, methamphetamine has 
become the No. 1 drug problem facing rural America, rivaling club drugs 
such as ecstasy and cocaine in the nation's urban centers and crack cocaine 
in the northeast. The drug's popularity has outpaced other substances in 
Hardin County as well.

Some call meth the poor man's cocaine because it is a highly addictive 
stimulant that produces a euphoria similar to cocaine, but lasts longer - 
six to eight hours, compared with 20 minutes to an hour for cocaine. Since 
it can be produced simply using a number of easily obtained ingredients, 
including cold medicine and lithium batteries, illegal production 
laboratories frequently pop up in homes as well as motels, vans and 
backyard sheds.

Production and use of methamphetamine has skyrocketed during the past 
several years throughout the Midwest, including Kentucky. Last year, 160 
clandestine meth labs were raided by law enforcement agencies in Kentucky, 
more than double the number in 2000.

There are about 50 people in the Hardin County court system accused of 
using, manufacturing or distributing the drug.

DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson, in Lexington to speak at a two-day summit 
on fighting methamphetamine and OxyContin abuse, said he plans to visit 
cities in 32 states to inform communities of the dangers inherent in meth 
production and use. The summit featured legislators, law enforcement 
officials, social services and treatment specialists all talking about ways 
to fight off meth.

"We are trying to hatch out a way to fight this problem other than keeping 
the people in jail for 10 years," said Gerald Wilson, a Kentucky State 
Police narcotics officer attending the conference.

Wilson said he is confident Hardin County is placing emphasis on 
rehabilitation instead of jail time. But he said there is no way to 
completely wipe out meth.

"We have the ability to level it out and deter it," he said.

A new response trailer, containing equipment to clean up meth labs, is one 
way KSP has helped local Hardin County agencies in search of meth labs.

Hutchinson said the DEA has trained more than 130 Kentucky police officers 
at a cost of more than $2,000 per officer and has provided more than 
$250,000 in equipment to state law enforcement agencies to aid the fight 
against methamphetamine.

"But more has to be done because there is a double hit in Kentucky," he 
said. "In addition to the lab problem here, a lot of methamphetamine comes 
across the United States from California and makes its way through and into 
Kentucky."
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