METH MENACE GROWS AS CRACK USE FALLS

Our Position: Because Meth Labs Pose Such A Danger, Law Enforcement Must Be
Extra Aggressive In Rooting Them Out.

If you think the war on meth is fiercest in shanty labs operating in
Indiana woodlands and rural trailer parks, think again. There are a lot of
free-wheelers involved, but they're small potatoes compared to the big boys
who bring the stuff in by the truckload. That was demonstrated by an
Evansville court recently when it sentenced a woman to life in prison for
helping funnel meth worth $250,000 from Texas into southern Indiana.

Authorities agree that meth, or, more properly, methamphetamine, is
distributed equally by organized drug rings and individuals who buy the
ingredients retail and cook up batches for their own use and sale. The drug
rings often operate out of Mexico and peddle meth produced in super labs in
California, Texas or other Southwestern states.

What confounds the courts, the Indiana State Police and federal drug
authorities is the speed with which meth trafficking is spreading here.
Nearly 30 percent of the 2000 caseload of the federal court system in
southern Indiana concerned meth. In 1995, state troopers raided and
dismantled six meth labs. Last year, it was 681 labs. The State Police
clandestine lab team started with a handful of members. Now, there are more
than 100.

Worse, there's no slacking off in sight. The high from meth is similar to
that of crack cocaine but lasts as much as 10 times longer. The growing
prevalence of makeshift labs makes meth dangerous to anyone in the
vicinity. Careless handling can cause the mix of caustic ingredients to
explode, and that can have terrible repercussions. Last December, a routine
Indianapolis police patrol uncovered a meth lab in a densely populated
Northside neighborhood. A church and playground were close by.

Studies show crack use has dropped here. Less than one in three inmates at
the Marion County Lockup test positive, down from nearly 50 percent in
1994. The decline makes authorities feel good, but only for a while. Then
they begin to worry about meth's move from the country to the city.