Pubdate: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC) Copyright: 2003 Asheville Citizen-Times Contact: http://www.citizen-times.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863 Author: Asheville Citizen-Times IT'S TIME TO GET TOUGH IN FIGHT AGAINST METH North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said it's an issue that "is so serious I believe the General Assembly will want to address it.'' The issue is methamphetamine labs, and yes, it is an issue the General Assembly should address. Methamphetamine, or meth, production has skyrocketed in North Carolina, and the western part of the state is no exception. The production curve is alarming. In 1999 nine meth labs were investigated in North Carolina. That number jumped to 18 in 2000, 34 in 2001, 98 in 2002 and as this year winds down, 171 labs have been busted to date. Western North Carolina has seen its share of labs, plus a large amount being brought in from southwestern states and Mexico. Methamphetamine, a Schedule II stimulant, is relatively easy to make. A potent, addictive stimulant, it has been tried by an estimated 10 million Americans. It can be introduced to a person's system in any number of ways, from injection to inhaling to ingesting. A meth "run'' can see a user abuse it for days on end without eating or sleeping. A not uncommon end to these runs is a heart attack. Production of meth is a dangerous and toxic affair. It can be made with things like lantern fuel, battery acid and antifreeze, and the production of a pound of meth can produce 5 to 6 times as much toxic waste. As making meth is similar to manufacturing a bomb, some officials, saying current laws aren't tough enough on producers of the drug, have been using facets of new terrorism laws to gain longer sentences. While production of a toxic drug could be labeled terror, this approach is debatable, as terrorism is fueled by ideology, whereas meth production is generally fueled by greed and a basic lack of judgment. What's needed, it seems to us, are tougher laws aimed at the manufacture of the drug, and that's what Cooper is calling for. Friday, Cooper and Van Shaw Jr. with the State Bureau of Investigation pressed the N.C. Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission for more stringent penalties for meth production. These include longer prison sentences and child endangerment charges for those who manufacture the drug in the presence of minors. That last point is not a minor one. Shaw told the Associated Press that 74 children were found in homes with drug labs this year alone, and noted "Most kids removed from homes with meth labs are having upper respiratory problems, chemically induced pneumonia, those type of things. When they pick up that pacifier or that bottle, it could potentially have meth on it.'' These changes in the law appear to be the way to go. Prosecutors could have more appropriate sentencing without having to label common criminals terrorists -- and children can be protected better. It's a serious response to a serious issue, and we hope it's given a serious look by lawmakers. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens