Pubdate: Thu, 28 Dec 2006
Source: Sunday Gazette-Mail (WV)
Copyright: 2006, Sunday Gazette-Mail
Contact:  http://sundaygazettemail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1404
Author: Charles Shumaker, Staff writer

FEWER METH LABS FOUND IN PUTNAM

Number Drops From 37 in 2005 to 16 in 2006

Putnam County Sheriff Mark Smith believes law  enforcement officials 
have turned a corner in the fight  against the methamphetamine drug trade.

In 2006, 16 labs were uncovered in Putnam County --  fewer than half 
the 37 labs found in 2005.

This year's drop also comes just two years after  authorities 
discovered 50 drug labs at Putnam County  sites.

Only seven of the 2006 labs were actually being  operated when 
deputies found them.

The remaining nine labs were considered dumpsites found  along 
roadsides or elsewhere. Trash bags filled with  empty cold medicine 
containers or empty matchboxes were  among the signals that the 
materials were once used to  make up a toxic drug lab, Smith said.

"We're smarter about this now," Smith said. "I would  consider 
anything as dangerous as methamphetamine to be  a major problem. But 
it's not as a major of a problem  as it used to be."

Statewide, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency officials  reported to a 
September conference in Charleston that  the numbers of labs have 
plummeted over previous years.

That certainly held true in Putnam County where six  months into 2005 
the county was on pace to pass up the  2004 record number of labs 
discovered and dismantled by  law enforcement. But in mid-2005, a new 
state law took  effect that limited the sale of pseudoephedrine, 
which is a crucial ingredient in meth.

"That helped us a lot," Smith said. "Now there is a  federal bill in 
the works that will control it  nationwide. That will put more teeth in it."

After the state's law made it harder for meth users to  buy their 
ingredients, Smith predicts many ran for the  border states to load 
up on the ingredients being  closely watched in West Virginia retail stores.

"Some retailers took it on themselves before the law to limit sales 
and watch for the common ingredients. There were some who went ahead 
and did the right thing [before the state law]," he said.

Smith said the public has been helpful too.

Several counties began drug tip lines in 2005 that allowed residents 
to anonymously call in information about suspected drug activity. The 
call traffic started out heavy then tapered off, Smith said. Now, 
Putnam County's number may not be heavily used but it has had an 
impact, he said.

"People know we've turned up the heat on them," Smith said. "We're 
just not seeing as many any more. In this county, we have an 
aggressive prosecutor's office and if you get caught cooking meth 
you'll go to jail."
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