METH LAB SEIZURES ON RISE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

MARION - The number of methamphetamine lab seizures in North Carolina has
risen dramatically during the past three years, a fact that's creating
concern for local and state law enforcement officials because of the
hazardous nature of the illegal drug centers.

In 2000, the State Bureau of Investigation documented 18 methamphetamine
lab seizure; the number of labs seized increased 90 percent to 34 in 2001.
State officials said the numbers have continued to rise in 2002, with 48
lab seizures during the first half of the year.

In May, a lab was shut down in Hendersonville, and the McDowell County
Sheriff's Office reported two lab seizures this year and closed a
pre-cursor lab in June.

"Twenty-one of the seizures we've made this year have been in the western
half of North Carolina, 12 seizures have been in counties immediately
surrounding Asheville," said Van Shaw, the clandestine laboratory response
coordinator with the SBI. "This is a growth trend we were expecting because
of the prolific number of labs being found in Tennessee and Georgia.

As officials have begun to crack down in the west, these labs have moved
eastward."

Methamphetamines are synthetic amphetamines, which stimulate the central
nervous system. Produced and sold illegally in pill form, powder and
chunks, the drug, which is also called "crank," "crystal," "meth" and
"ice," can be smoked, snorted or injected.

Users often feel euphoric or energized, and addicts can go days without
sleep. As users begin to come down off their high, they can have violent or
psychotic episodes, which is known as "tweaking," according to Detective
Victor Hollifield with the McDowell County Sheriff's Department.

"In my opinion, this drug is much worse than crack," said Hollifield,
referring to crack cocaine. "We are seeing users who are switching from
crack to meth because the high lasts much longer and is more potent."

Hollifield noted that crystal meth generally sells for $100 per gram.

Typically, methamphetamine producers create their drugs using chemicals
found in drain cleaner, engine starter, lithium batteries and cold tablets.
Household items such as jugs, funnels, gas cans or coffee filters are then
used to mix and filter the chemicals.

Recipes for the toxic mixtures can even be found on the Internet. Of the
2,000 chemicals available to make the drug, at least half are considered
explosive, according to drug enforcement agents.

"The process presently used to make methamphetamines is fast, and the
ingredients can easily be stored in the back of a car or a cardboard box,"
said Joe Revis, a senior chemist with the SBI who is based in Asheville.
Revis has already investigated 10 clandestine labs in WNC this year and
says the ability to make the drug quickly is another reason why labs are
springing up across the region.

The ease with which the drug can be made also allows dealers to create
roving laboratories or mobile methamphethamine centers in their cars.
Nationally, the number of labs found in vehicles increased from 869 in 1999
to 1,207 in 2001. The number of vehicles found with chemicals or equipment
used to make methamphetamines increased from 30 in 1999 to 624 in 2001,
according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

However, because there is no mandatory reporting requirement, it is
difficult to know for certain the total number of traveling crystal
methamphetamine labs.

While the labs are relatively cheap to set up, they are expensive to clean
up and can cost officials anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 to shut down,
according to Van Shaw with the SBI.

Presently, the SBI is responsible for investigating clandestine drug labs
in North Carolina. Even though the Drug Enforcement Administration pays for
the cleanup costs, local law enforcement agencies generally absorb the
costs of the hazardous material suits worn by cleanup crews.

These suits, worn to protect agents from fumes or deadly liquids, can range
anywhere from $700 to $2,000. Because of the nature of the materials
collected during the cleanup, the hazardous material suits are frequently
disposed of after one use, according to Shaw.

"These labs create a danger of fire and toxic waste," said N.C. Attorney
General Roy Cooper. "We've seen officers affected by hazardous substances,
we've seen explosions, we've even had to evacuate apartment complexes near
these labs. These drug dealers do not take care when dealing with these
dangerous chemicals."

Cooper said the state is asking for citizens to be aware of the signs that
generally accompany illegal methamphetamine labs and to notify local law
enforcement officials if they suspect the existence of secret drug
production center.

"Crystal meth is a significant drug problem for residents and law
enforcement agents in rural parts of the United States, and North Carolina
is no exception," said Cooper. "We see this problem coming in from other
states and we want to be ready. We will not let it take us by surprise."