METHAMPHETAMINE DESTROYS PEOPLE AND SCARS COMMUNITIES

The mental devastation leaves users paranoid and delusional. The
physical toll ages users decades, leaving dark circles under the eyes
and sagging skin on the face. A user can literally blow holes in the
nose by snorting this wicked stuff day after day.

We've witnessed the havoc methamphetamine can leave on a community.
The idiots operating meth labs have touched off explosions that
destroy rental homes - and possibly one or two next door. Infants have
been found crawling in these labs among dangerous chemicals and toxic
fumes. Hazardous waste teams, all wrapped up in hazmat suits, have to
clean up abandoned labs, but some houses still get torn down due to
contamination. Meth makers have even resorted to rolling labs in the
back of cargo trucks. Robberies and theft skyrocket as those desperate
for a fix grab whatever they can sell.

Communities in other places are living this nightmare.

We're staring this in the face right now.

Thankfully, law enforcement officials - the Bradenton Police
Department along with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Manatee
County Sheriff's Office - made what they're calling a dent in
Manatee's meth trade. This week, authorities busted 19 people and
seized 32 pounds of meth with an estimated street value of $575,000 in
"Operation Broken Ice." Fourteen of the suspects were described as
main players in the ring, and the alleged ringleaders are a
44-year-old mother and her two sons, ages 26 and 19.

Police also seized dozens of weapons and a homemade bomb. A bomb! Some
suspects got nabbed while sleeping with rifles. That's how desperate
these dopeheads are.

Authorities are still arresting and looking for suspects.

And they are bracing for the next go-round with meth.

Kudos to law enforcement for the success of "Operation Broken Ice."
The community is a bit safer now.

But as authorities said, this week's bust is just a dent in Manatee's
meth trade.

So let's not rest on our laurels. Meth has an insidious way of
becoming an epidemic. Authorities are already bracing for other meth
addicts to fill the void left by this week's bust.

We all must be vigilant in looking out for the signs of a meth lab.
They don't come in neon. Check out the list of clues below.

Talk Back

Have you been touched by the meth problem? Are there any signs of a
meth lab in your neighborhood? Share your views in the Opinion section
of Bradenton.com.

How can you spot a meth lab in your neighborhood?

A large amount of cold tablet containers that list ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine as ingredients

Jars containing clear liquid with a white-or red-colored solid on
the bottom

Jars labeled as containing iodine or dark, shiny metallic purple
crystals inside of jars

Jars labeled as containing red phosphorus or a fine, dark red or
purple powder

Coffee filters containing a white pasty substance, a dark red sludge
or small amounts of shiny white crystals

Bottles labeled as containing sulfuric, muriatic or hydrochloric
acid

Bottles or jars with rubber tubing attached

Glass cookware or frying pans containing a powdery
residue

An unusually large number of cans of camp fuel, paint thinner,
acetone, starter fluid, lye and drain cleaners containing sulfuric
acid or bottles containing muriatic acid

Large amounts of lithium batteries, especially ones that have been
stripped

Soft silver or gray metallic ribbon (in chunk form) stored in oil or
kerosene

Propane tanks with fittings that have turned blue

Occupants of residence going outside to smoke

Strong smell of urine or unusual chemical smells like ether, ammonia
or acetone

SOURCE: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration