METH-LAB BUSTS DECLINE

Authorities Attribute Drop To Limiting Access To Cold Medicine, Say
Less Of Drug Is Made In State

Changes in Indiana law restricting access to cold medicines and the
way farmers handle chemicals have led to a decrease in the number of
methamphetamine labs found in the state, according to the Indiana State Police.

"There's still a supply of meth, but less of it's being made in
Indiana," said David Bursten, State Police spokesman.

As the highly addictive drug spread into Indiana in the late 1990s,
meth-lab discoveries went from something rare to something all too common.

But the number of labs busted is declining. In 2004, police in
Indiana found 1,549 labs. The number of clandestine labs declined in
2005 to 1,303 around the state, with 989 found by State Police.

Last week, the state reported a further decline in 2006, with 993
labs discovered. Of those, 760 were found by the State Police.T

he decrease has extended to urban Marion County. State Police
statistics show that 23 labs were found in Marion County in 2005, but
that declined to nine in 2006.

Some of the reasons for the decline started in 2005, when the General
Assembly passed a law limiting the sale of ephedrine and pseudo
ephedrine, two of the substances used to make meth. People who buy
those drugs must produce identification and register with pharmacists.

Ephedrine also has been gradually removed from the major,
over-the-counter versions of cold drugs, such as Sudafed.

Sgt. Ray Poole noted that farmers have aided the anti-drug effort.
Anhydrous ammonia, a common fertilizer, was being used by meth makers
and was often stolen from rural areas. Now, farmers have learned that
they must keep the chemical under lock and key, Poole said.

This year's legislature is considering a registry of meth offenders,
something passed into law in other Midwestern states.

The decline in the number of Indiana meth labs has not meant the
elimination of the drug. Bursten noted that production has moved out
of rural labs to undercover facilities in places such as Mexico, from
where the drug is then smuggled into the U.S.

The decline will not lead State Police to discontinue their
methamphetamine tip line at (800) 453-4756 or to cut back on their
specialized teams that handle the hazardous job of dismantling meth
labs."We're not going out of business," Bursten said.

Dismantled

The State Police released labs dismantled for the four counties in
its Indianapolis District:

Boone: 2005: 3 labs; 2006: 4 labs.

Johnson: 2005: 10 labs; 2006: 5 labs.

Marion: 2005: 23 labs; 2006: 9 labs.

Shelby: 2005: 9 labs; 2006: 13 labs.