IT'S TIME TO GET TOUGH IN FIGHT AGAINST METH

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said it's an issue that "is so
serious I believe the General Assembly will want to address it.''

The issue is methamphetamine labs, and yes, it is an issue the General
Assembly should address.

Methamphetamine, or meth, production has skyrocketed in North Carolina, and
the western part of the state is no exception.

The production curve is alarming. In 1999 nine meth labs were investigated
in North Carolina. That number jumped to 18 in 2000, 34 in 2001, 98 in 2002
and as this year winds down, 171 labs have been busted to date.

Western North Carolina has seen its share of labs, plus a large amount
being brought in from southwestern states and Mexico.

Methamphetamine, a Schedule II stimulant, is relatively easy to make. A
potent, addictive stimulant, it has been tried by an estimated 10 million
Americans. It can be introduced to a person's system in any number of ways,
from injection to inhaling to ingesting. A meth "run'' can see a user abuse
it for days on end without eating or sleeping. A not uncommon end to these
runs is a heart attack.

Production of meth is a dangerous and toxic affair. It can be made with
things like lantern fuel, battery acid and antifreeze, and the production
of a pound of meth can produce 5 to 6 times as much toxic waste.

As making meth is similar to manufacturing a bomb, some officials, saying
current laws aren't tough enough on producers of the drug, have been using
facets of new terrorism laws to gain longer sentences.

While production of a toxic drug could be labeled terror, this approach is
debatable, as terrorism is fueled by ideology, whereas meth production is
generally fueled by greed and a basic lack of judgment.

What's needed, it seems to us, are tougher laws aimed at the manufacture of
the drug, and that's what Cooper is calling for. Friday, Cooper and Van
Shaw Jr. with the State Bureau of Investigation pressed the N.C. Sentencing
and Policy Advisory Commission for more stringent penalties for meth
production. These include longer prison sentences and child endangerment
charges for those who manufacture the drug in the presence of minors.

That last point is not a minor one. Shaw told the Associated Press that 74
children were found in homes with drug labs this year alone, and noted
"Most kids removed from homes with meth labs are having upper respiratory
problems, chemically induced pneumonia, those type of things. When they
pick up that pacifier or that bottle, it could potentially have meth on it.''

These changes in the law appear to be the way to go. Prosecutors could have
more appropriate sentencing without having to label common criminals
terrorists -- and children can be protected better.

It's a serious response to a serious issue, and we hope it's given a
serious look by lawmakers.