PUBLIC ENCOURAGED TO HELP FIGHT METH

- -- Following is the sixth in a series of articles about the problems
posed by methamphetamine in Siskiyou County --

Local agencies, including those in Siskiyou County, have joined
forces with state and federal agencies to create task forces in the
ongoing war on methamphetamine.

This team effort is needed in order to provide the manpower and
equipment to combat the "devil's drug," United States Attorney for
California's Eastern District McGregor Scott said.

Scott stressed that while the task forces provide the trained
personnel and sophisticated surveillance equipment used in detection
of meth, there is one other vital member of the team effort - the public.

"Meth touches so many fields other than law enforcement," he said.
"It impacts those in medicine, education, business and drug
treatment. It impacts families and neighbors. Local communities can
band together to work on the meth problem."

Scott said where the public can really provide its assistance is in
reporting any signs of a meth lab operation. He emphasized that even
a suspected lab should immediately be referred to local law enforcement.

"Even if it proves to not be a meth lab, it's always better to be
safe," Scott said.

Clandestine methamphetamine laboratories use chemicals and equipment
that can easily be obtained from the local drug, grocery and hardware
store. They can easily be set up virtually anywhere, in homes,
apartments, campgrounds, rest areas, motel rooms, abandoned cars,
garages, storage sheds, barns and vacant buildings.

Terry Barber of the Siskiyou County Health Department said it is
possible that anyone, without even knowing it, can suddenly come upon
an area that is being used or had been used as a meth lab.

For this reason, she advises the public learn the signs of a
potential meth lab to "protect yourself, your family and your property."

Barber said that under no circumstances should anyone attempt to
gather information on their own, enter an area that is suspected of
being a meth lab or handle any materials that are found.

"Meth labs use chemicals that when combined can ignite, causing
explosions and fires," she said. "They are also toxic in nature and
breathing the fumes can cause serious injury and even death."

A typical meth lab is a collection of chemical bottles, hoses and
pressurized cylinders, which can include modified propane tanks to
fire extinguishers. These tanks are used to hold anhydrous ammonia or
hydrochloric acid used in the cooking process. Both of these
chemicals are highly poisonous and corrosive.

Some of the signs of a meth lab are:

- -- Strong chemical odors in the area, often described as a smell like
cat urine;

- -- Windows heavily covered/blacked out and signs of fortification
such as bars on windows and/or heavily protected doors;

- -- Chemical containers and/or chemical waste. Some of the chemicals
commonly found at lab sites are anhydrous ammonia, red phosphorus,
denatured alcohol, hydrogen chloride, hydrochloric acid, toluene,
ether, common paint thinner. Look for containers bearing these kinds of labels;

- -- Signs of trip wires or other mechanisms that can be rigged to
alert people that someone is approaching;

- -- Little or no traffic during the day, but lots of traffic at
extremely late hours;

- -- A noticeable build-up of cigarette butts outside a residence, or
other signs that people may be leaving the building to smoke;

- -- An abnormally large collection of anti-freeze containers, drain
cleaner bottles, lantern fuel cans, lithium batteries and car starter
fluid containers;

- -- Red chemically stained coffee filters;

- -- Propane tanks with bent or tampered valves;

- -- An unusually large number of discarded over-the-counter cold
medicine packages from medications that contain decongestants;

- -- Signs that electricity has been inexplicably run to a seemingly
abandoned building.

While task forces are trained to detect meth labs, Scott said
neighbors in the area of a suspected lab can provide valuable
"intelligence gathering information." He said neighbors should become
suspicious if they see any of the following:

- -- Heavy foot and vehicular traffic, particularly at night, which
could indicate drug transactions;

- -- Strong and unusual chemical odors in the area, a sign of a
possible meth lab in operation;

- -- Lab ware and chemical containers being brought to and removed from
the location;

- -- Strange behavior by those who live or frequent the location,
including violent outbursts, no noticeable hours of sleep and a
demonstration of noticeably anxious or paranoid behavior, all
symptoms of meth use.