LEGISLATORS RACE TO UPDATE LAWS TO STEM METH LAB GROWTH

ALBANY - Methamphetamine, a scourge in rural areas where it is made in
secret labs and a club drug of choice in cities, is giving Albany a
rush as state legislators seek to crackdown on meth by updating old
laws.

Four meth labs were found and raided from 1989 to 1999 in New York. In
2003, 73 labs were raided, according to the Commission of
Investigation. The bipartisan commission released a report to the
legislature last week calling for laws that will make it criminal to
possess the material used in making meth.

"There is strong evidence that the alarming jump in the number of
methamphetamine labs in New York state in recent years is directly
attributable to the migration of drug producers who come here to
escape stricter laws in neighboring states," said Dineen Ann Riviezzo,
chairwoman of the commission.

The Southern Tier and North County have seen most of illegal
trade.

"We need to arm local law enforcement with the tools needed to combat
this growing menace," Riviezzo continued.

Meth, also known as crank, ice or crystal, is a powerful stimulant
that can be smoked, snorted, swallowed or injected. It contains
pseudoephedrine, found in over-the-counter cold medications.
Nationwide, more than 7,000 meth labs were dismantled in 2003,
according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Last September, Gov. George E, Pataki signed a bill into law that
directs the State Police and several state agencies to study the
practice of adding ferrocene to the fertilizer anhydrous ammonia
before it is sold in New York State. The fertilizer is a key to meth
manufacturing. The additive alters the composition of anhydrous
ammonia so that it will not achieve the chemical reaction needed to
produce methamphetamine by clandestine manufactures, who typically
make the illegal drug in secluded locations.

But the commission, which recommends legislative proposals, said more
laws are needed.

Other states make possession of a number of the ingredients needed to
make meth a crime. The problem is, most of the ingredients can be
purchases for less than $100 in pharmacies and hardware stores, which
makes this murky legal territory. Longer sentences are also a
priority, the commission said.

"Criminals have preyed on the rural areas in this endeavor," said
state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, a Seneca County Republican. He has
sponsored several bills that he said would give more tools to law
enforcement. "The law is definitely behind."