THE MENACE THAT IS METH IN SOUTH COUNTY

South County is the manufacturing capital for a host of wonderful products.
From jetliners to sleek trucks to industrial machinery -- we make 'em. But
ur community also has the unfortunate distinction of being a manufacturing
center for a highly dangerous and addictive drug: methamphetamine.

The potent stimulant is the fastest-growing drug problem in our state. It
is also among the most menacing drugs. Its users are prone to violence and
mental illness.

The dangers of meth are more pronounced than other drugs such as heroin
because of the threat posed by its manufacturing. The drug is made in
makeshift labs using hazardous chemicals. Some ingredients are explosive.
Others are so corrosive they can burn flesh off bones.

Meth labs are sprouting everywhere: inside homes in quiet neighborhoods; in
garages and tools sheds; in back rooms in office complexes; in motel rooms;
and even inside cars and vans. Meth cookers have infested parks and
campgrounds, where their poisonous byproducts are dumped, leaving sickly
brown dead zones.

According to the King County Sheriff's Office, South County is a favorite
manufacturing base for these unsavory chefs. Our vast stretches of rural
land and forests provides good cover for their operations. Our proximity to
Pierce County -- the state's capital of meth producers -- also plays a role.

State, county and local law-enforcement officers have been making notable
strides in cracking down on these drug cookers. Arrests and prosecutions
are up 20 percent in two years. Gov. Locke and the Legislature, meanwhile,
have toughened penalties -- more than doubling the sentences of first-time
offenders and giving judges discretion to deliver up to 20-year sentences
for repeat offenders.

Still, King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng believes more can be done. He's
authorized creation of a special prosecutors' unit to address the volume of
meth production cases. It's an important and necessary move. Convicting and
putting away these illegal drug producers is the only way to stem the
current outbreak.

To assist police and prosecutors in this worthy cause, we're publishing a
list of typical ingredients and tools used to manufacture methamphetamine.
It was compiled by The Associated Press. If you run across these telltale
signs, call your local police immediately. Do not attempt to touch any of
the byproducts; they can be dangerous or even deadly.

METH'S DEADLY SIGNS

* Punched-out foil pill cards, the type you get with common cold medications.

* Lithium battery shells.

* Coffee filters.

* Rock salt containers.

* Solvents such as acetone.

* Ammonia, often stored in propane tanks.

* A strong smell of ammonia, similar to cat urine.

- -- The Associated Press