CAMPAIGN AIMS FOR THE DEATH OF METH

Maybe crooks don't like a snitch, but if you suspect that somebody in your
neighborhood is running a meth lab, the Utah Council for Crime Prevention
(UCCP) wants you to come forward.

By doing so, experts say, you could save your life or someone else's.

As part of an ongoing anti-meth initiative, the crime council on Wednesday
unveiled a new campaign, "What's Cooking in Your Neighborhood," with
television ads, billboards and a hot line -- (800) 972-CALL (2255) --
designed to encourage Utahns to report places they suspect may contain
methamphetamine labs.

"Utah is first in the nation in the number of meth labs [per capita]," said
Tibby Milne, executive director of UCCP. "We're tired of being No. 1, so
today we're bringing lots of people together to kick off this campaign."

The council has joined forces with law enforcement, the Utah Division of
Substance Abuse, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the Division of
Child and Family Services, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration,
state lawmakers, television stations and Reagan Outdoor Advertising, which
will provide 30 billboards throughout the Salt Lake Valley.

"Meth has become the drug of choice in our area," said Pat Fleming, acting
director of UDSA. "To combat it takes a total effort. We need more help
from the community."

The public hazard posed by meth labs increases as the number of such
operations grow. More than 90 labs have been busted in Utah in just the
past four months, many in private homes. The production of the drug
involves toxic chemicals, including ammonia and hydrochloric acid, combined
in often volatile mixtures.

One of the byproducts from "cooking" meth is phosphine gas, a small amount
of which can be deadly if inhaled. Excess chemicals are often buried,
flushed down toilets or simply discarded with the trash.

Although labs are cheap and easy to establish -- meth "cooks" can set up
shop with fairly common household products on a simple kitchen stove --
combining the chemicals requires precision and timing. One false move can
cause an explosion.

University-trained chemists have caused fires and explosions trying to
recreate meth lab conditions, said DEA agent Jeff Payne. "If a chemist can
make a mistake, what do you think about some of these schmucks who never
finished high school?"

So far, the labs found in Utah have been relatively small operations,
capable of producing less than 10 pounds of meth per batch. But as demand
for the drug skyrockets, so-called "super labs" may become more common and
the danger even greater, Payne said.

"Criminals want more money, so the size of their lab increases," he said.

Determining if a lab exists in a neighborhood may not be easy. Meth
production can be done in a matter of hours, allowing criminals to set up
quickly, produce a batch, and then move on to another location. And
although cooking the drug releases acrid odors, some go to great lengths to
cover or ventilate the smell.

"Citizens have to be on their toes," Payne said. "Some of these guys can be
pretty creative."