Pubdate: Tue, 22 Jul 2003
Source: Springfield News-Leader (MO)
Copyright: 2003 The Springfield News-Leader
Contact:  http://www.springfieldnews-leader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1129
Author: Associated Press

PROGRESS COMES SLOWLY IN METH FIGHT

Kansas City - The war on methamphetamine might be making a dent in the
drug problem, but so far, not a very big one.

The number of local meth cases in federal court at Kansas City is
rising at a slow but steady pace, highlighting the difficulties of
battling a highly addictive drug that is relatively easy to make.

The meth situation might not be as dire as it was in the past,
officials said, but it's still not showing any signs of going away.

"Five, 10 years ago, we were having trouble even getting our arms
around it, it was growing so fast," said Todd Graves, U.S. attorney
for the Western District of Missouri. "Now, we've got our arms around
it, but haven't wrestled it to the ground yet."

Methamphetamine is a potent stimulant made in part from common
household cleansers and cold medicines. Making meth produces strong,
toxic fumes, and its use often causes violent, unpredictable behavior.

It's a problem that took root in the West and Southwest in the 1970s
and 1980s, then migrated into the Midwest. In the 1990s, the federal
government created "high-intensity drug trafficking areas" across the
country, where millions of dollars were pumped into hiring officers to
combat the problem.

Those efforts slowed growth in some areas, but meth makers have been
harder to identify and catch in the Midwest.

Missouri ranks highest among central states in the number of
meth-related seizures. Last year, 1,717 labs, dumpsites and
paraphernalia were seized in Missouri, compared to 346 in Nebraska and
718 in Iowa.

Federal authorities said the meth problem continues in the Midwest
because of production techniques that use fertilizer - commonly found
on most farms.

Meth producers in Missouri often use a simple formula that includes
anhydrous ammonia, said Shirley A. Armstead, a St. Louis area
spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Administration: "You don't need a
lot of precursor ingredients to make the drug, so it's very easy to
make," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake