LOCAL GROUP PRAISED FOR ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS

With methamphetamine looming as a rival to common narcotics such as cocaine
and marijuana, Attorney General Roy Cooper praised the efforts of a local
group trying to combat the growing drug problem.

"We need to train retail merchants to make sure they know that someone
who comes in and buys 20 packs of Sudafed does not have a big family
with a bad cold," Cooper said Friday. "They're likely going to make
methamphetamine."

Methamphetamine lab busts statewide have more than tripled since 2001,
with 237 found so far this year. A lab was found outside Bethel in
2002, but none have been found in Pitt County so far this year. While
cocaine continues to be one of the primary drugs in the area, The Pitt
County Substance Abuse Coalition wants others to know the production
signs of methamphetamine, commonly called "meth."

Along with the Area Health Education Center, Pitt County Sheriff's
Office and the Pitt County Health Department, the coalition is
sponsoring a workshop: "Is There A Meth Lab Cookin' In Your
Neighborhood?" on Oct. 14, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Venture Towers near
Pitt County Memorial Hospital in the Monroe AHEC Conference Center.
Targeted toward businesses selling the common ingredients used to
produce the drug, organizers hope an informed public will quickly spot
the signs of meth lab before it becomes a major problem.

"We hope to keep meth labs out of Pitt County by enlisting support
from business people all across Pitt County, who, if they're
knowledgable, can discover these things before they do any harm,"
coalition member Katherine McGinnis said.

Methamphetamine is more prevalent in the western part of the state,
but eastern North Carolina is not immune to the problem, officials
said. Two labs were found in Craven County this year, one in Greene
and one in Wilson counties, and a lab in Beaufort County was found in
2002.

Detectives with the Pitt County Sheriff's Office came across someone
attempting to start a lab last year and know of others asking for the
drug. Investigators know meth is being produced in the county but it
is hard to pin down because it is not sold openly, sheriff's office
detective T.S. O'Neal said.

"The meth culture is a very close-knit community, it's not an open-air
drug," he said. "Because they can make it and use it themselves, that
limits (law enforcement's) exposure to the culture itself."

The drug can be made just about anywhere: in a vehicle, hotel room or
out in the woods. It is easy to make, using common ingredients such as
pseudoephedrine found in many over-the-counter cold medicines, coffee
filters, starter fluid, batteries and drain cleaner. It also is highly
addictive and the mixture of ingredients is toxic, which is why
investigators wear protective suits when raiding a meth lab.

"Clearly, the battle of meth will only be won when all assets of the
community pull together to fight it," Cooper said. "It's not just a
law enforcement issue, we have to have participation by retail
merchants, public health officials, addiction treatment professionals
and everyday citizens who will take a stand and say we're not going to
tolerate these illegal drug labs in our communities."