LEGAL JABS AT ILLEGAL LABS

A new law that took effect this week gives prosecutors a new weapon in
the fight against production of methamphetamine, an illegal stimulant
that is a growing drug problem in North Carolina.

It might help slow the spread of illegal drug labs, which have been
concentrated in Western North Carolina but are spreading eastward.

Stiffer penalties mean first-time offenders can now face five years in
prison and distributors can be charged with second-degree murder if a
user overdoses and dies. The law also increases penalties for
possessing ingredients to make the drug and manufacturing it in the
presence of children. It also adds two years to a meth producer's
sentence if a law enforcement officer or emergency worker is injured
during a raid.

The new law was spurred by the state Attorney General's office,
district attorneys and law enforcement agencies seeking better ways to
attack illegal labs used to make the drug.

Isolated rural areas are preferred by illegal drug makers because the
production process creates a strong odor that might be more easily
noticed in an urban area. The drug has huge profit margins because
it's made from easily obtained ingredients, including over-the-counter
cold medicines and common household chemicals.

While the illegal labs are concentrated now in mountainous areas of
Western North Carolina, it is spreading. Meth labs are popping up in
Eastern North Carolina, including one that law enforcement officers
raided in March near the beach on Oak Island.

With a stronger law to help battle the insidious invasion of this
drug, perhaps there's a better chance of stopping its spread into
rural areas around here.