Pubdate: Sun, 05 Jun 2005
Source: Herald News, The (Fall River, MA)
Copyright: 2005 The Herald News
Contact:  http://www.heraldnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3604
Author: Gregg M.  Miliote
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

TOP COPS FORMING ANTI-METH STRATEGY

BOSTON -- Attorney General Thomas Reilly recently  held a summit with
top law enforcement officials from northeastern states in an  effort
to deal pre-emptively with a growing methamphetamine problem moving
rapidly across the nation. Although Massachusetts has seen a small
amount  of meth manufacturing and use, the powerfully addictive drug
is currently rising  to near epidemic levels in the South and Midwest.

Kurt Schwartz, chief of  the attorney general's criminal bureau,
said the summit, held last week in  Boston, was called to "begin to
talk about the challenges methamphetamines  present."

"We're trying to get ahead of this issue before it spreads to  us
here in New England," Schwartz said. "We've been spared the extent
of the  problem that meth has presented to other areas of the country
for years. But we  are definitely concerned this problem will grow and
we know we will have to deal  with it at some point."

Schwartz said between one and two meth labs have  been seized in each
of the past several years.

Methamphetamine, known on  the street as crystal, meth, ice, glass and
crank, is an intensely addictive  stimulant that dramatically affects
the central nervous system. The drug is  easily manufactured in what
Schwartz called "super labs" outside the country and  in clandestine
labs in rural areas of America

The manufacturers use the  active ingredient pseudoephedrine, found in
many over-the-counter cold  medications.

"During the summit we heard a lot about how easily this drug  is
manufactured in these small labs," Schwartz explained. "That's the
really  scary part of all of this. Anyone can make this drug rather
easily."

Schwartz said his office is looking at legislative steps that  can be
taken to prevent an outbreak of meth production and use in
Massachusetts.  Some of the legislation proposed includes placing
restrictions on the sale of medications that contain pseudoephedrine
or reducing the quantity of types of  cold medications a person can
purchase in a day, week or month.

"These  pieces of legislation can make it difficult for dealers to get
large quantities  of pseudoephedrine," Schwartz said. "A number of
midwestern states have already  passed similar laws that put the cold
remedies behind the counter instead of out  on a shelf for anyone to
buy large quantities.

"We're going to figure out  what makes sense for Massachusetts."

Rhode Island Attorney General  Patrick Lynch also attended the
methamphetamine summit last  week.

"Although we do not yet see methamphetamine proliferation in Rhode
Island to the extent that it has invaded other parts of the country,
the  potential for the drug to emerge in this region requires a
coordinated law  enforcement, public health, and environmental
response," Lynch said. "A good  first step is to heighten awareness by
educating the public about the  extraordinarily harmful effects of
methamphetamine."

Both Lynch and  Schwartz also commented on the public health and
environmental hazards small  meth labs present.

Schwartz explained meth labs create toxic fumes, are  "incredibly
hazardous," significantly affect the health of children and pregnant
women while also causing serious hazardous waste cleanup problems.

Lynch  said much of the toxic waste from meth labs is dumped illegally
into the ground  or in waterways. He said midwestern states have found
it necessary to invest in  special equipment and undergo significant
training in investigations, lab  entries, lab seizures and
environmental cleanups.

"Methamphetamine is a  damaging and dangerous narcotic that has the
potential to pollute our  communities," Lynch said. "It's imperative
for us to be as proactive as possible  in letting the public know that
the severe consequences associated with this  drug don't only relate
to health issues, but to the law.

"If you bring  meth into Rhode Island or if you make it here, you're going
to jail."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin