METH SEMINAR FOCUSES ON COMMUNITY EDUCATION

The community was invited to attend a methamphetamine lab seminar
Monday, sponsored by the Sevier County Family and Community Education
Clubs of the U.T. Agricultural Extension Service, in order to gather
information on the growing drug problem in Sevier County.

Captain Randy Parton and Det. Loren Kirby of the Sevier County
Sheriff's Department spoke to about 30 people on how to spot a
possible meth lab, the dangers of meth and how to protect families and
the community.

"In Sevier County, we are seeing more meth labs and meth users
everyday," said Parton.

The officers described the smell involved in possible meth production,
the look of meth users and the products used to make meth.

"A lot of times meth production puts out the odor of ether or ammonia,
depending on the products used," said Parton. "Usually you will find
large amounts of trash around a meth producer's property and there
will often be no trespassing or private property signs around because
they don't want people snooping."

Parton also described a list of meth-making products, which includes
household items such as over-the-counter cold tablets, gasoline,
iodine and rock salt.

"We are actively alerting stores to the possibility they are selling
these products in large quantities to meth producers without even
knowing it," Parton said.

He also mentioned several stores in the county that sell these
products but are now not stocking large quantities in order to quell
the problem.

"If you work at a store and you see someone come in and buy a large
amount of cold tablets or gallons of iodine, unless you know who they
are and why they are buying that stuff, it is likely they are cooking
meth," he said.

Rental property and cabin owners also need to be aware they may be
unwittingly letting meth producers use their property.

"That is a big issue here because the owners don't always know what
type of person they are renting to," said Parton.

Because the products used to manufacture meth are highly corrosive and
dangerous, Parton said it is important for property owners to know
what is going on.

"Even if we find out there is a meth lab somewhere and we have our
hazardous material team come in to dismantle the lab, it is still the
property owners' responsibility to make sure the home is clean and
safe for occupants," he said.

Currently, there are no local companies that clean buildings after a
meth lab has been located and the cheapest cleaning costs about $2,000
to $3,000.

"Investigating meth is different from investigating other drugs, like
cocaine or heroine," said Parton. "It is more of an overt operation
rather than covert and we need the public's help more than anything."

The Sheriff's Department is available to businesses and organizations
that want to learn more about meth lab prevention.

"If you see something suspicious, call us, because that is one more
meth lab we can shut down," Kirby said.

For more information on meth lab seminars, call the Sheriff's
Department at 453-4668.