SPEEDING AHEAD OF METH LABS

It's not possible to keep methamphetamine out of any county, but it is
possible to prepare residents and law-enforcement officers for the
onslaught. Credit New Hanover County officials with trying to get ready.

The County Commissioners have approved creation of a task force that will
try to educate the public about the signs of a meth lab and public safety
employees about how to deal with the dangers. They include explosions,
fires and toxic chemicals, not to mention cranked-up criminals and their
customers.

Maybe most important, the task force will work on how to protect children
from meth lab hazards, as well as from the drug-addled adults who fail to
care for them.

If there's any cheer to be found in such dismal prospects, it's that many
other communities across the country have been through this already.
They've learned a lot. We can learn a lot from them.