METH-FIGHTER SAYS LAWS, POLICE GAINING GROUND ON ILLEGAL LABS

BINGHAMTON -- While state laws are starting to catch up, the
proliferation of methamphetamine is a growing problem across the
region, said Ellen E. Vachon, founder of the Southern Tier
Methamphetamine Prevention Program.

Vachon spoke Tuesday night in city council chambers about the dangers
of the drug, its increased use and the government's response.

"I think in a way New York invited the meth makers," Vachon said.
"Now we're stepping up to the plate."

With its wide rural stretches, the Southern Tier has access to the
fertilizer anhydrous ammonia, a key component in manufacturing the
drug, and opportunities for the clandestine manufacturing of the
drug, Vachon said.

Vachon noted that in 2006, law enforcement uncovered 11 meth labs in
Broome County, two in Tioga County and one in Chemung County.

Until a 2005 law made possession of meth-production materials
illegal, law enforcement officers could not make an arrest unless
they found the drug. Businesses also have restricted access to
pseudoephedrine and other drugs used to make meth.

In February, U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, sponsored the
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, which would put research
dollars into new technologies for cleaning toxic waste left after
meth manufacturing, detecting clandestine labs and understanding the
lingering health effects.

While the laws are slow to catch up, Vachon said, law enforcement
officers in the region have done well to keep up with the changing
dynamics of the drug and its manufacture.

"They (local law enforcement) are very good at watching and picking
up on signs," Vachon said. "They're very good."