Pubdate: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) Copyright: 2004 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc Contact: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340 Author: Stephanie L. Arnold Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) METH LABS ON THE RISE, STATE POLICE SAY This year alone, 32 have been found, half the number found all of last year. The drug is becoming more prevalent in Pa. The number of methamphetamine labs uncovered by Pennsylvania State Police has nearly doubled each year for two years, and police say they are on track to find even more this year. >From 2001 to 2003, state police uncovered 117 labs or meth-lab dump sites. In the first three months of this year, state police discovered 32 labs, half the number that was uncovered all of last year. "We're going to get slammed this year," said Sgt. Mike Rudda, head of the Pennsylvania State Police Clandestine Lab Response Team. In addition to state busts, federal drug agents, who tend to target larger operations, raided 11 labs in Pennsylvania last year, said Rick McGoldrick, a spokesman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia region is the origin of a large portion of the methamphetamine produced and consumed in the eastern United States, according to the DEA. Along with heroin, methamphetamine - a highly addictive, powerful stimulant ingested by swallowing, inhaling, injecting or smoking - is becoming more prevalent in Pennsylvania, according to state police and DEA reports. "A large factor in the clandestine-lab epidemic is the evolution of technology and the increased use of the Internet," said Armand McClintock, special agent for the DEA's Indianapolis district. Drug abusers use common household chemicals, such as over-the-counter medicine, to produce the drug in makeshift labs - sometimes found inside car trunks or in hotel rooms. Because many of the people manufacturing methamphetamine have no formal chemistry education, this creates a threat because many of the chemicals are corrosive or flammable, police said. "These are very dangerous chemicals that can cause all sorts of problems if exposed to them," said Trooper John Casciano, assistant coordinator of the state team. Long-term use of the drug can lead to strokes, heart disease, and Parkinson's disease, among other health problems, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Even small amounts can cause convulsions, which can lead to death, the institute said. In 2002, police found 32 grams of methamphetamine in a home in Perkasie, Bucks County. Investigators also found equipment used to manufacture the drug. More recently, a Hatfield man was arrested in December after admitting to police that he was manufacturing methamphetamine in a Towamencin hotel. Incidents such as these, police said, are dangerous because they expose unwitting victims to airborne chemicals that can cause health problems later. As the proliferation of these labs continued, police said it became necessary to have a specialized team to respond to the calls. In 2001, Rudda, head of the state team, said he recognized that clandestine labs were a problem. As a trooper, he and other officers would often stumble across a majority of the labs on routine calls or traffic stops. That year, he organized a group of 22 troopers and eight chemists to form a specialized group that collects evidence from the labs to assist detectives in investigations. This group wears "moon" suits to protect them from airborne and tangible chemicals they may come into contact with while collecting the evidence. The cleanup fees associated with these labs cost taxpayers, on average, $2,000 to $4,000 per site. These funds come out of the already strained budgets of state and local police departments. "The worst is yet to come," Detective Chuck Crawford, president of the Pennsylvania Narcotics Officers' Association, said. Last year, the association started methamphetamine management workshops to help police officers better negotiate potential clandestine labs. "[Meth] is the crack cocaine of the 21st century," Casciano said. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin