THE SCOURGE OF METH

Rep. Souder Is Right That The Federal Government Needs A Comprehensive Strategy

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says methamphetamine has surpassed
marijuana as America's most dangerous drug.

Communities desperately need help from the federal government in fighting
the scourge of meth. Third District U.S. Rep. Mark Souder keeps saying
that. Some people are listening. Last week, Attorney General Alberto
Gonzales called meth "the most dangerous drug in America." Some apparently
aren't listening. In a subcommittee hearing conducted by Souder on Tuesday,
Office of National Drug Control Policy deputy Scott Burns defended the
administration's policy of targeting regional drug problems, such as
cocaine in Chicago and heroin in the Northeast, and said marijuana would
continue to be treated as the most significant problem because it is a
"gateway drug."

Souder is right, and the administration is wrong. You don't have to talk to
many sheriffs to realize that.

"Because of the urban nature of our county, we don't have quite the problem
other counties do," says Allen County Sheriff Jim Herman. "But just from
observing what goes on around us, it does seem to me that the meth
phenomenon is of epidemic proportions. It will be a tough war to win."

Herman would get no disagreement from Doug Harp, chief deputy sheriff of
Noble County. "Dealing with meth labs is complicated - just the cleanup of
toxic materials, for example. It ties up people for a long time, and
there's a tremendous amount of stress." Harp knows what he's talking about.
Indiana is No. 1 in the nation for meth lab busts - 609 this year so far,
according to State Police - and Noble County is No. 1 in the state. Police
there have taken out 36 labs this year, far ahead of No. 2 Vigo County's
16. "We're at the limit of our people and resources," Harp says. "We're
having to rely on other counties around us for help."

Even if you disagree with much of the war on drugs, or think its whole
premise is questionable, it's valid to talk about which front in the war to
concentrate on. Meth is powerful, addictive and cheap to make, with
multiple side effects, including psychotic behavior. The labs generate
toxic material and endanger the children who live with the people who make
meth. The idea that more anti-drug money is spent on marijuana use is
simply ludicrous.

It's not just a matter of "this is a big problem, so let's spend more
federal money," Souder says. "The so-called mom-and-pop places that are
sprouting up - that's the very definition of a 'local drug problem.' But
communities can use some financial help. And we definitely need a
coordinated federal effort that looks at the national and international
nexus. For example, there are only nine places in the world that make this
stuff (pseudoephedrine, a prime ingredient of meth). It took a reporter for
a newspaper in Oregon to point out that 170 tons more of it is coming in
from Mexico than is used here (for legitimate purposes such as cold
medications)."

Until there is a national strategy that looks at where the hot spots are
and what works and doesn't work, Souder says, we'll never get a handle on
the problem. In the meantime, meth is coming to more and more towns and all
but devouring them. And the towns are getting bigger. "We don't have quite
the big problem in Fort Wayne yet, but it's coming," Souder says. According
to testimony Tuesday, nearly 60 percent of counties in a recent national
survey said methamphetamine was their No. 1 problem; 67 percent reported
increases in meth-related arrests. Forty percent of child welfare agencies
reported an increase in out-of-home placements because of meth last year.

The nature of the epidemic is changing, too, Souder warns. "A lot of the
business is being taken over by Mexican gangs with super-labs for meth. The
mom-and-pop places are a mess to deal with, but the super-labs are
providing 60 to 70 percent of the meth." Hello. Control the Mexican border,
anyone?

Police in Fort Wayne can tell you what happens if officials aren't paying
attention when a dangerous drug starts taking hold. That's what happened
with crack here.

Meth is exactly the same kind of dangerous drug. It's scary to think about
what will happen to a lot of communities if the federal drug-fighting
establishment doesn't start paying attention.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- By
Leo Morris for the editorial board
- ---