Pubdate: Sat, 17 Apr 2004 Source: Herald-Sun, The (Durham, NC) Copyright: 2004 The Herald-Sun Contact: http://www.herald-sun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1428 Author: Virginia Bridges Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) AG SAYS METH LABS WILL MAKE APPEARANCES IN DURHAM DURHAM -- Methamphetamine labs are on their way to this part of North Carolina, state Attorney General Roy Cooper told the N.C. Sheriff's Association on Friday. Durham County Sheriff's Maj. Lucy Zastrow agreed, noting that it is a growing problem in the eastern part of the state. But so far, she said, "Durham County has missed that adventure." However, Cooper warned, "it is coming." In 1999, the State Bureau of Investigation reported nine methamphetamine lab busts. In 2003, 177 labs were found in North Carolina. "This year, we are probably going to double that," Cooper said. "So we have got to have a plan in place." Methamphetamine is a stimulant that can give drug users a longer and stronger high than drugs like cocaine, officials say, sometimes with a high lasting for up to six hours. Meth, as it is commonly referred to, can be injected, snorted or swallowed and can be made by mixing common household products and decongestant drugs available at local retail stores. Until now, meth has primarily been a problem in the Western United States, but it is coming to the East Coast, officials say. Both Johnston and Watauga counties in particular have seen problems with meth, and the drug has been found in 45 other counties, according to the report from a 2003 statewide summit on the issue. Meth labs also were popular with biker gangs in Durham County in the late 1970s, Zastrow said, but that died out as people blew up their homes and realized how dangerous it was. In January, Cooper released a plan for fighting the meth problem, as well as the report's preliminary findings. Among those findings were that state laws are insufficient, because meth manufacturers who have no record generally receive a suspended sentence, and that North Carolina's laws are worse or weaker than those in other states. In addition, about 25 percent of the meth labs busted in North Carolina in 2003 were in homes where children also lived, the report found. Cooper said that when children are exposed to the drug through fumes and residue in the carpet, drapes or furniture, those "children might as well be taking it." The drug's side effects include brain damage, violent behavior and paranoia, he said. The report also found that the drug is stressing the state's resources for fighting it. The chemicals used in manufacturing meth can produce dangerous gases, which can be fatal if inhaled and are highly flammable, easily triggering explosions. So when busting the labs and gathering evidence, SBI agents must wear disposable suits that can cost up to $600. In addition, the average cost for cleaning up a meth lab runs between $4,000 and $10,000, the report said. And it takes SBI crime laboratory chemists up to 45 hours to process each meth lab compared to one hour for processing cocaine labs. The report recommended that the state should increase its penalties for manufacturing and possessing meth, and should make it a crime to produce meth when a child is present. Other recommendations included better training, more equipment and informing residents and merchants about how to identify waste and smells generated by cooking meth, along with how to spot the key ingredients used in making meth. Zastrow said law enforcement officers in Durham County, like other counties across the state, are being trained on how to detect and deal with the hazardous drug. "I think we are doing a pretty good job of sort of heading it off at the path," Zastrow said. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh