METHAMPHETAMINE IS A MOST SINISTER MENACE

We Have a Lot of Work to Do

Epidemic. It's an ugly word. The textbook definition pegs it as
"affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of
individuals within a population, community, or region at the same
time," or "excessively prevalent." It's commonly associated with
contagious diseases, but it's often been associated with other trends
of late. We've seen, according to various pundits, epidemics of
violence, divorce, crime and other discouraging social trends in our
lifetime.

It's a loaded word, an unsavory word. It is with reluctance we use it
to describe the methamphetamine problem our state and our area now
face.

Unfortunately, it's the only word that fits.

Four years ago in 1999, the first meth labs were reported in North
Carolina. Nine were investigated. In 2000, 18 labs were shut down.
This year, 125 labs had been shut down by Sept. 15.

That's an epidemic.

A large number of labs have been found in WNC, and in addition to the
drug being manufactured here, a large amount is being imported from
southwestern states and Mexico.

Methamphetamine - meth for short - is a powerful and addictive
stimulant. It's relatively easy and relatively cheap to produce.

And it's incredibly destructive and incredibly dangerous.

A Schedule II stimulant, meth has been tried by nearly 10 million
Americans at some point in their lives. It can be ingested in a number
of ways, including inhaling, eating or injecting intraveneously. In
some cases, users go on "runs," where the drug is taken at regular
intervals; during these runs, the user may not eat or sleep for days.

In some scenarios, the user's heart essentially explodes.

In debating some drugs, the dangers are . well, debatable.

No such debate exists with meth. The stuff can kill you.
Period.

If the worry of a massive, fatal heart attack weren't enough, the fact
it can be made with such items as battery acid, drain cleaner,
antifreeze or lantern fuel should be enough to steer people away from
it.

Instead, more people are apparently steering toward it.

Charles Moody, special agent in charge for the State Bureau of
Investigation's Western District, said "We're seeing things all the
way from the basic 'box labs' in the trunks of cars, all the way up to
some pretty sophisticated operations. The skills and materials needed
are relatively simple."

Those materials are another source of worry. North Carolina Attorney
General Roy Cooper notes that 5 to 6 pounds of toxic waste are the
byproduct of the production of every pound of meth. In addition, the
production process is akin to a bomb factory. If things go right, a
deadly product is produced. If they go wrong, a deadly product blows
up.

On this track, some prosecutors are using new terrorism laws to battle
meth production. We've said before terrorism laws should be for
terrorists. We've also said if new laws targeting meth are needed,
pass them - quickly.

At a recent methamphetamine summit, Cooper said, "Everyone agrees that
we need more appropriate laws to prosecute people who manufacture
these drugs."

Cooper also noted another disturbing issue in the methamphetamine
problem: "In too many cases, we find children living in the very homes
where these dangerous drugs are being made. These children are often
victims of abuse and neglect, and they're also at risk of toxic fumes,
fires and explosions."

A U.S. Department of Justice COPS grant will help deal with that
issue.

In the end, Cooper framed the issue well.

This isn't a problem we can hope law enforcement will simply make go
away.

"This isn't just a problem to be tackled by law enforcement. This is
a problem that reaches into every part of our communities, into our
homes, schools, and businesses, and it is a problem that we must
confront together."

He's right. Sticking our heads in the sand isn't going to work on this
issue. We need to be alert, be aware and be educated if we have any
hope of combating methamphetamine.

We've got an epidemic on our hands.