DISMANTLED METH LABS RISE 25%

Authorities say many more exist

The number of methamphetamine labs dismantled by Indiana authorities last
year was up nearly 25 percent from 2003, and authorities say that's just a
fraction of the backyard and woodlands labs out there.

"There's no doubt they continue to grow in numbers," said Eric Lawrence,
program manager for an Indiana State Police unit that searches for
clandestine drug laboratories. "If we got one of five, I think we're
probably doing pretty good."

State police figures released yesterday show that 1,549 labs were dismantled
last year, compared to 1,260 in 2003.

The report showed that the greatest number continued to be found in a
stretch of counties from the Terre Haute area south along the Wabash River.

Vigo County, which includes Terre Haute, had the most labs dismantled last
year with 166, up from 108 in 2003. The other top counties: Posey with 91,
Vanderburgh with 69 and Knox with 68 — all in southwestern Indiana.

Three neighboring south-central counties also had large numbers of labs
dismantled: Bartholomew at 52, Jackson at 55 and Jennings with 44.

Counties in southeastern Indiana along the Ohio River have had relatively
small but rising numbers of meth labs. The amount in the five-county area
covered by the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg more than doubled
over the past two years.

Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington counties combined for 47 meth
labs last year, up from 21 in each of the two previous years.

The increase in labs was enough to convince state police in July to create a
meth investigations team. Three troopers have been assigned to work only on
meth.

Team leader Josh Banet said the team investigates tips from citizens and
calls from businesses that report suspicious purchases of the items used to
make meth.

For instance, "Why does anybody need to buy more than two boxes of cold
medication at a time?" he asked.

Harrison County was tops in the Sellersburg district with 13 meth labs
dismantled last year. Harrison County prosecutor Dennis Byrd is applying for
a federal grant that would allow him to devote one of his deputies full-time
to drug cases.

Deputy prosecutor Lauren Wheatley said there were 27 meth-related arrests in
Harrison County last year, up from 19 in 2003.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that can be snorted, smoked or
injected. It is made using household ingredients such as cold tablets and
the farm fertilizer anhydrous ammonia.

Vigo County Sheriff Jon Marvel said the high number of labs found in his
county was partly because of aggressive law enforcement, but even that's not
enough to curtail the problem.

"Nobody is giving the drug up because of our threat of going to jail,"
Marvel said.

Vigo officials have approved an ordinance that goes into effect Monday
limiting to two the number of cold-medicine packages containing
pseudoephedrine that someone can buy. In addition, a purchaser must present
a photo ID and provide a signature.

Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient in making the drug.

In Oklahoma, certain cold medicines must be purchased from a pharmacist, and
the buyer must present identification. Since the law went into effect 10
months ago, authorities there say meth production is down 80 percent.

Similar legislation has been proposed in the Indiana General Assembly.
However, opponents say the requirements make it too restrictive for those
actually in need of the medication.

Marvel said he is impatient for a tougher state law and hopes the Vigo
County ordinance will help.

"I can't wait on the state to make a law," Marvel said.

The meth lab problem has grown quickly in recent years across Indiana. In
1995, only six of the illegal labs were found statewide, police said.

Lawrence said he believed the best hope at limiting the number of meth labs
would be to restrict the availability of cold medicines with
pseudoephedrine.

"If they were to do that, you could see a significant and measurable impact
in Indiana within one year," he said.