Pubdate: Fri, 18 Nov 2005
Source: Charlotte Observer (NC)
Copyright: 2005 The Charlotte Observer
Contact:  http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/78
Author: Joe Depriest
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

Poison Creeps Closer:

METH SLITHERS INTO OUR REGION

In Gaston and Lincoln, deadly drug is no longer someone else's problem

It's creeping out of the mountains of Western North Carolina like a
deadly vine.

Now the tendrils of methamphetamines have slithered all the way to
Gaston and Lincoln counties.

Last weekend, Mount Holly police seized three pounds of meth, a
powerful synthetic stimulant also known as speed, crank, ice or crystal.

Two months ago, Lincolnton authorities found four pounds in a sting
operation.

In a recent article, the Observer's Danica Coto reported that while no
meth labs have been reported in Gaston yet, authorities are seeing
large amounts imported for distribution.

It's more poison to deal with.

In the Mount Holly meth bust, police charged three men with felony
drug trafficking.

"I'm not going to claim victory," Mount Holly Police Chief Bence Hoyle
said. "There's a lot more of it out there. This won't be the last of
it."

Hoyle is right. Cheaper to make than cocaine, meth delivers a longer
high. It can be smoked, injected, snorted or eaten. Either way, it's
highly addictive and can rot your teeth and damage your brain. The
number of meth users is growing fast. That's evidenced by the number
of labs busted statewide last year -- 322, up from nine labs in 1999.

So far, no meth labs have been reported in Gaston County. But they've
turned up all around us. In September, authorities found the largest
meth lab in Mecklenburg County in a South Charlotte townhouse.

These homemade labs can explode because of all the dangerous chemicals
that go into the mix. Meth makers don't care about blowing up a
neighborhood.

It's not unusual to hear about children living in homes or apartments
where meth is being manufactured.

You hear about such things and they're disturbing. But, like bird flu
outbreaks, they're happening somewhere else. You keep hoping: Maybe it
won't happen here.

But the poison keeps creeping closer. It may be next week or next
month, but sooner or later we'll hear about a local meth lab getting
busted or blowing up.

I hope authorities keep the heat on meth makers and traffickers.
Lincolnton Police Chief Dean Abernathy told Coto that police officers
will get mandatory training on how to deal with meth. Also, he said
they'll keep a close lookout for labs.

Meanwhile, we need anti-drug programs in schools and communities that
specifically target meth. Regular programs where experts can repeat
the dangers of filling your body with something brewed with such
ingredients as red phosphorus, kerosene and a decongestant in cold
pills.

We can't keep the meth scourge out. It's already here. But we can
start learning more about the drug and saying no to it as loud as possible.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake