REALTORS EDUCATED ABOUT METHAMPHETAMINE

With the growing use of crystal meth, Marshall County District
Attorney Steve Marshall and Marshall County Drug Enforcement Unit
Commander Rob Savage educated realtors on how to know if a home has
been used as a meth lab.

Marshall told the Marshall County Board of Realtors the word "lab" may
sound scientific, but those making methamphetamine can cook it in any
home, barn, motel room, storage building, old campers or in the trunk
of their cars.

"You might ask, 'What does meth have to do with realtors?'" Marshall
said. "The answer is 'a lot.' Meth is a big liability issue when
showing a home and you will see labs through properties you deal with
or rent."

He told the group what clues to look for. This included "unusually
strong odors, either a caustic odor or ammonia smell." Marshall said
it smells like a chickenhouse while Savage described it as being "like
putting too many chemicals in the pool."

Finding several discarded boxes of sinus medication containing
Ephedrine is also a red flag because Ephedrine is the most common
precursor used in making meth.

Another giveaway is the remnants of torn matchboxes, with a large
number of matches usually discarded while the contact strips are
scraped and filtered for their red phosphorus. Bottles of Iodine are
also suspect.

"Now, I'm not telling you to walk up to someone at the store and tell
them you are going to call the D.A. because they have a product with
Ephedrine in their shopping cart," Marshall said.

"When buying those products in quantity, there is probably something
wrong."

It is not uncommon to find discarded soft drink bottles on the side of
the road or at a house in need of cleaning up, but Marshall said the
bottles can present a health risk if touched. He showed a slide
picturing a 20-liter bottle with a tube connected to it, used by a
local meth cook as part of the meth-cooking process.

"Don't touch it, don't deal with it and don't handle it," Marshall
advised.

"If you see a propane tank with a discolored valve looking aquablue,
that is an indication of using anhydrous ammonia, which can liquify
your lungs on contact. Fires at a residence are another sign, as well
as frequent burning of trash in the yard."

Savage told the realtors they should call his office at (256) 571-7714
or their local law enforcement agency if they suspect a property is
contaminated.

The MCDEU has worked 80 meth labs so far in 2004, at a cleanup cost of
$35,000 each. The real cost, however, is paid by the property owner.

He told the group they should also take care when calling on homes
because meth users are typically paranoid with violent tendencies. We
are seizing guns with every arrest and cameras in raids. (Users) think
they have got to have the cameras to see if we are coming after them.
(Savage) can tell you horror stories about serving warrants. I won't
apologize for the tools our drug unit uses. I want those guys to have
the best equipment available because the bad guys are just as
well-armed."

Marshall said the Department of Human Resources is forced to take more
and more children from households where parents are meth addicts.

"Children are the true victims of all this. We don't know the
long-term effects on children who have been around these chemicals.
That is what should concern us all," he said.

Marshall said the meth situation is not going to be solved with badges
and guns.

"We can have more of an impact on meth if more high school students
graduate, if the median income goes up, if moms and dads talk more to
their children. The people we deal with are not afraid of jail or the
future. It's all about getting the next hit."

He cautioned against the stereotype that meth is the result of
Hispanics coming to Marshall County.

"This is a white, rural phenomenon," Marshall said. "We would have a
problem if there were not one Hispanic here. One reason we see so much
is we are almost a hub of distribution, a trafficking route for drugs
from California, Texas and Mexico, where 90 percent of the meth sold
on the street comes from. The local cooks are making for themselves
because they can't afford to buy from someone else."

Marshall also believes there is somewhat of a family tradition
spilling over from the days of cooking moonshine in rural places.

Whatever the case, the authorities hope to enlist the help of realtors
and the public in watching for clues about possible meth use.