METH UNDER WATCH

Home-based meth labs aren't coming to a community near you - if Gerry
Harrington has anything to do with it.

Meth Watch Canada's public affairs director says small, home-based crystal
methamphetamine labs aren't prevalent across the country, and he aims to
keep it that way.

Out of the 40 lab busts in Canada, I think we've had one so far where there
was the possibility the ephedrine came from a store," he said.

Home labs, the ones supplied by retail stores, account for 15 per cent of
all meth on the street in Canada.

It's next to nothing."

Meth Watch provides information to retailers, both in pharmacy and hardware
stores, on the ingredients needed to start up a meth lab, and what would
constitute a suspicious purchase.

Harrington has fielded calls about the program from across the country -
even a few from Kamloops.

Most chain drug stores are on board, he said, and many chain hardware stores
are seeing reason to get involved.

We're trying to prevent the home lab phenomenon, not that we expect it to
contribute to the number of meth addicts on the streets."

If Meth Watch can stop home labs from setting up shop before they start,
Harrington said, that leaves police with more time to focus on the larger
criminal element.

It's about keeping the problem, which is already very vexing and
challenging, from getting a whole lot more complicated."

Plus, he said, even one home-based meth lab has deadly potential.

These things are a threat to communities themselves. They're full of toxic
chemicals and they're a huge fire risk."

Meth Watch, he said, is not about controlling the meth on the streets, it's
about all the problems associated with the home labs themselves."

Home-based labs are becoming a bigger problem south of the border as bulk
pseudoephedrine gets harder and harder to come by, Harrington said.

In 2003, Health Canada set up regulations that would prohibit the
cross-border sale of bulk pseudoephedrine.

That did an excellent job of cutting off Canadian pseudoephedrine to
Americans. What it failed to do is tighten up the flow of pseudoephedrine
within Canada," Harrington said.

Crystal meth, he added, is all made in Canada."

Should Health Canada go back and effectively close the tap" on bulk
pseudoephedrine sales, Meth Watch will become even more important.

If we shut down that supply, there may be a tendency to begin manufacturing
this on your own."