METH CRISIS TAKES HOLD IN VOLUSIA

DeLAND -- Meth is now the No. 1 drug problem facing Volusia County,
and Sheriff Ben Johnson wants more resources to combat the problem he
says has reached epidemic proportions.

What began in the West and Midwest portions of the country has crawled
into Central Florida, where anyone can cook up a batch of cold
medicine and household chemicals with a stove or hotplate.

Johnson said nationwide efforts -- such as putting Sudafed and other
pseudoephedrine-containing drugs behind the pharmacy counter and soon
requiring identification -- only go so far.

Small methamphetamine labs are popping up across Volusia.

On Thursday, Johnson told the County Council he would soon be asking
it to allocate funds for more safety equipment for his investigators
and a public-service announcement that will address the dangers of the
highly addictive stimulant. County Councilwoman Joie Alexander said
she expected Johnson would have the group's full support.

"I'm afraid it's going to get worse before it gets better," the
sheriff told council members.

Johnson spoke to the council a week after a New Smyrna Beach man died
of chemical burns from a methamphetamine-lab explosion. Council
members learned of the national problem last year at the National
Association of Counties conference in Hawaii and asked the sheriff to
address how the issue is affecting Volusia.

Johnson said two years ago narcotics agents busted just six labs. In
2005 they found 25, and so far this year 10 have been dismantled. More
than 230 labs have been busted across the state so far this year.

"I don't believe we're getting control over it," he
said.

Besides being so easy to make -- there are hundreds of formulas on the
Internet -- it costs just $100 to make $1,000 profit, Johnson said.
And in one year one cook will likely teach 10 others how to
manufacture methamphetamine.

Investigators say they've tailored training to learn more about the
issue they say is a priority in the narcotics unit.

"This has more of a hazardous side to it because it impacts the
citizens more . . . because it's being manufactured here," said
sheriff's Sgt. Joe Gallagher, who supervises the Volusia Bureau of
Investigations, a multijurisdictional team.

On Aug. 23, residents of Greenbriar Apartments in New Smyrna Beach had
to be evacuated from their homes after a fire broke out in a second-
story unit. Glenn Speroni, 43, died a week later from chemical burns
on his face, chest, stomach and legs.

It's also dangerous for the investigators who have to enter the toxic
lab sites. Johnson wants to use $70,000 of confiscated funds to
purchase protective suits, self-contained breathing units, fire-
retardant clothing, fans and a mobile trailer to outfit his lab-
certified investigators who go inside to dismantle the cooking operations.

Gallagher said educating the public about methamphetamine is another
key to combating the problem.

"The more we educate the people on what to look for, what to smell,
what to recognize . . . that helps," Gallagher said.

The sheriff showed the council samples of public-service announcements
he wants to mimic here. Osceola and Pasco sheriffs have created
television spots warning of the dangers and criminal consequences of
cooking methamphetamine.

Johnson said if the public knows more about meth, so will his
investigators. They find new cases through tips from residents, other
drug investigations and sometimes by chance.

The telltale signs include a distinctive, acidic odor that smells like
a strong stench of cat urine, a collection of Pyrex glass dishes or
beakers and tubing. People who cook the drug can experience
respiratory problems, skin legions and sores and severely bloodshot
eyes.

"You don't know where these labs are," Johnson said. "It could be next
to you."