Pubdate: Mon, 25 Sep 2006
Source: Bakersfield Californian, The (CA)
Copyright: 2006 The Bakersfield Californian
Contact:  http://www.bakersfield.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/36
Author: Jason Kotowski, Staff Writer

METH LAB DISCOVERIES DECLINE

Drug Makers Shifted Operations To Mexico

The number of methamphetamine labs and abandoned  meth-making sites 
found in Kern County has fluctuated  over the years, but recently the 
amount of meth  activity has dropped and the number of sites hasn't 
come close to approaching the 69 found in 2000.

Fourteen meth-making sites, including drug labs,  abandoned meth 
sites and mobile labs, were found in  Kern County in 2004, the latest 
year for which full  statistics are available. That was the lowest 
total in the county since 1996. Fourteen sites were also  discovered 
that year, according to the Department of  Toxic Substances Control.

The latest statistics showed that six sites were found  in the county 
in 2005 through Oct. 16. In all, 322  sites were found from 1995 
through Oct. 16, 2005,  according to the department.

There's still work to be done, but it's encouraging  that the numbers 
are dropping, said Bill Ruzzamenti,  executive director of the 
Central Valley High-Intensity  Drug Trafficking Area task force.

Part of the reason for the decrease is that many drug  dealers closed 
up shop in the Central Valley and moved  to Mexico to make meth. As a 
result, meth labs and the  toxic environments they create have 
decreased in the  Central Valley, but the drugs are still being 
delivered  here, Ruzzamenti said.

Restrictions on the sale of pseudoephedrine, an  ingredient used to 
make meth, have also helped shrink  the number of labs in the area, 
he said. Drug dealers  were importing pseudoephedrine, found in some 
over-the-counter cold medicines and nasal  decongestants, relatively 
easily from Canada into  California.

Lawmakers limited the amount of cold medicines a  customer may buy 
over the counter in 2002 and put other  medicines behind the counter. 
After that, the flow of  pseudoephedrine from Canada declined 
sharply, Ruzzamenti said.

Availability of meth varies across California. But even  without as 
many labs, it's still easy to find in the  Central Valley. "It's so 
available and at such a  ridiculously low price that it draws people 
in," he  said.

After the number of meth sites in the county peaked  with 69 in 2000, 
the figure dropped to 35 in 2001,  according to statistics. There was 
a spike the next  year, in which 46 meth-making sites were found, but 
by  2003 the number fell to 26.

Kern County Sheriff's Sgt. Richard Wood said deputies  have helped 
find several labs in 2006, including two in  April and a disposal 
site in Bakersfield in May. Some  labs are so small that officials 
call them box labs --  meaning all the items can be packed into a box 
and moved. A box lab was found in Ridgecrest within the  past year.

"The bad news is that (meth labs) are still out there,  there are 
still some, and some are too many,"  Ruzzamenti said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Elaine