Pubdate: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 Source: Decatur Daily (AL) Copyright: 2004 The Decatur Daily Contact: http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/index.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/696 Author: Abby Foster, DAILY Business Writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) POLICE BRIEF PUBLIC ABOUT METH ABUSE Local Busts Jump 300 Percent The number of methamphetamine busts rose 300 percent last year in Morgan County, authorities said Thursday, reflecting a problem that continues to grow across the region. While discussing the recent rise in methamphetamine production at a public meeting at the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, law enforcement agents explained how the drug works in the body, how users can easily make it in the home, and how officials are trying to curb use and production. Growing Problem "Methamphetamine arrests have exploded in Morgan County in the past year, year-and-a-half," said District Attorney Bob Burrell. During the last grand jury session, jurors heard 90 cases of methamphetamine possession. In recent years, Burrell said, most meth cases in Morgan County have been possession arrests resulting from traffic stops. Authorities usually find people with a small quantity in their cars. In the past year, however, police are finding home laboratories. "You can make your own dope," said Fred Gasbarro, an officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration. He said that's why methamphetamine is so widely used. Most involve small "bathtub labs," where people make their own supply and don't sell large quantities. "It's extremely addictive. It makes crack cocaine look like M&M's," said Gasbarro. Authorities said the labs are hazardous because they use toxic, flammable and readily available chemicals. Often people who have already been awake for several days are making methamphetamine on hot plates with drain cleaner, iodine, alcohols, ethers and red phosphorus. Sometimes they accidentally ignite the flammable liquids, causing injuries or death. The chemicals sometimes form undetectable toxic gases, which can kill those breathing them. Those dangers make methamphetamine labs potentially hazardous for neighbors and other people who may be in the house with the lab. Dismantling methamphetamine labs is also hazardous for authorities. Rethinking Emphasis Gasbarro explained that recent law enforcement efforts are focusing on stores selling the common materials from which methamphetamine is made. Pseudoephedrine is the starting material from which labs synthesize methamphetamine in the presence of household cleaning agents and fire-starting fluids. Pseudoephedrine is the main ingredient in most over-the-counter cold medications. Wal-Mart, for example, limits customers to purchasing only a couple packages of pseudoephedrine-containing medications per visit to discourage people from stockpiling it. Officers explained that, while meth is on the rise in Morgan County, it does not match the production in several other more rural North Alabama counties. DeKalb and other counties have actually seen a downturn in methamphetamine production recently, however, which officers attribute to greater community awareness and grant money the counties received to combat the problem. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake