Pubdate: Wed, 27 Jul 2005
Source: Watauga Democrat (NC)
Copyright: 2005 Watauga Democrat Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wataugademocrat.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2322
Author: Jerry Sena
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

SHERIFF MARK SHOOK EDUCATES CONGRESS ABOUT METH ADDICTION

Watauga County Sheriff Mark Shook talked with Congress Tuesday about 
something he's come to know very well -- methamphetamine. Sheriff Mark 
Shook (far right, seated) addresses a congressional subcommittee about meth 
dangers as committee member Rep. Virginia Foxx (back to camera) looks on. 
Photo submitted Rep. Virginia Foxx (5th District-R) invited Shook to 
Capitol Hill to lend his expertise to a subcommittee hearing on the growing 
threat of methamphetamine addiction.

His pioneering efforts to fight the spread of meth in northwestern North 
Carolina have made Shook a popular speaker at drug abuse conferences, 
law-enforcement seminars, and legislative hearings here in his home state.

The first-term sheriff has already lobbied for tougher meth laws before a 
N.C. House judiciary committee earlier this month. This is the first time 
he's been asked to speak before Congress. Shook was one of about a dozen 
healthcare providers, social workers and law enforcement professionals from 
around the country to testify at Tuesday's hearing.

Joining Shook was another first-timer, Rutherford County Chief Deputy Phil 
Byers, who was on Capitol Hill at the invitation of another U.S. 
Representative out of North Carolina, Patrick McHenry. McHenry 
(R-Cherryville) is the vice chairman of the House Government Reform 
Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, which 
hosted the hearing.

Shook read from a prepared statement as he addressed committee members, 
including Foxx, who is a freshman legislator.

"It was truly an honor to join Virginia Foxx in Washington, D.C. to fight 
meth abuse," said Shook in a statement released by Foxx's office shortly 
after the hearing.

"Like me, Congresswoman Foxx is committed to eliminating meth in Watauga 
County and nationwide.  Her tenacity during the hearing left me feeling 
hopeful about our prospects, and thankful for her representation."

Foxx was equally complimentary of Shook's performance at the hearing, which 
was broadcast live on C-SPAN.

"I am indeed proud and honored to have Sheriff Shook here today to share 
his successes with Congress and I know his story will be of benefit to the 
Subcommittee and to other communities that are afflicted with meth 
abuse.  The challenge this drug poses is strong, serious and immediate, and 
so too must be our response.  The outstanding job Sheriff Shook has done at 
the local level must be duplicated at the federal level if we are to 
eradicate methamphetamine from our communities."

In his testimony, Shook recalled his first inkling several years past that 
a new drug problem might be emerging in Watauga County. "Methamphetamine 
was a problem we'd heard about, and one we believed was a faraway problem 
- -- a California problem," Shook said. "In Spring of 2002, our (county) was 
seriously invaded by the scourge of methamphetamines. And we were not prepared.

"I was elected sheriff in 2002," Shook continued, "and before my election I 
was a detective in the Sheriff's Office. The year  before I took office I 
noticed a trend developing in cases I was investigating. I kept hearing the 
word 'meth'.

"I was vaguely aware of methamphetamine from training and word-of-mouth, 
but I really didn't know much about it. What I did know was that meth was 
being identified with more and more criminal activity," he said.

Since his election, Shook has made meth lab eradication a top priority. 
State Department of Justice figures have shown a marked decrease in the 
spread of meth labs within Watauga County.

The county had seen a doubling of meth lab discoveries each year since the 
first few were uncovered in 2001.

Last year Watauga held steady at 34 -- which was good enough to top the 
state just the year before --  while counties to the south such as 
Rutherford and McDowell saw their numbers rocket to 43 each. Rutherford's 
Chief Deputy Byers said, as of June 30 law enforcement agencies in his 
county had already located 25 labs or waste disposal sites related to labs.

Shook said such discoveries had become scarce in his jurisdiction. "It is 
now difficult to find a clear-cut meth lab in our county," he said. "There 
are still a few in operation and we're closing in on those. We do not find 
dumpsites where lab-related materials are illegally dumped. But these have 
declined also."

Shook attributed the county's successes to the formation of the 
Northwestern North Carolina Methamphetamine Task Force, a three-county 
coalition (Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga) of state, federal and local law 
enforcement agencies, social services and medical providers. "We have 
worked hard to deter people from manufacturing meth." Shook said. "And it's 
making it more difficult to get the necessary materials (for making meth). 
We have worked to educate our citizens and we've developed relationships 
with our retailers."

Along with pharmaceuticals manufacturers, retailers have been the most 
stringent opponents of a proposed law currently under scrutiny in the N.C. 
General Assembly.

The law, which has already gained approval in the Senate but has been 
stalled in a House judiciary committee, would place restrictions on the 
sale of over-the-counter medicines containing the essential ingredients of 
meth --  ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

In his testimony Tuesday, Shook echoed the message he delivered to North 
Carolina legislators earlier this month.

"We need laws passed controlling the sale of pseudoephedrine, the necessary 
ingredient for meth production," he said.

"States such as Oklahoma have passed legislation making it very difficult 
for meth producers to produce or steal large amounts of pseudoephedrine," 
Shook continued.

"Laws controlling the over-the-counter sales of pseudoephedrine have had a 
significant impact and have contributed to a substantial drop in meth 
production in states passing them.

"North Carolina is considering similar laws, but has not adopted any as of 
yet," Shook said. "The passage of federal legislation controlling the sale 
of pseudoephedrine would have the single biggest impact on illicit meth 
producers."
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MAP posted-by: Beth