WHAT ABOUT HUGE COST TO SOCIETY OF METH EPIDEMIC?

Re: "Sales log provision cut from meth bill" (TNT, 4-9).

As a police officer who serves on a methamphetamine laboratory
response team, I can't believe what I am reading in the newspaper.

I read about the costs to businesses for putting the precursors used
to make meth behind the counter, the inconvenience and training burden
for pharmacy staff, how folks wishing to purchase the precursors would
need to sign a log book, and so on.

But what about the huge cost meth is taking on our communities? The
cost to hotels and motels when a room is rented only to be used as a
meth lab? The cost to a landlord who has a meth cook set up a lab in a
rental house? The cost to taxpayers to pay for police officers to
clean up meth labs? The cost for the environmental damage done by meth
labs? The cost to our innocent children exposed to meth labs? The cost
a homeowner pays when property is stolen by someone feeding his habit?
The cost of physical assaults due to meth?

Some of our legislators lack leadership and stand hand in hand with
meth cooks and big business. As a former legislative assistant to a
state senator, I know the opposition of some lawmakers is simply based
on money. Big business pays big bucks in campaigns.

What a sad state of affairs in Olympia when meth cooks and big
business join forces with some legislators to defeat much-needed
relief from the overwhelming meth problem in our state.

SCOTT B. ENGLE

Puyallup