METH ON THE RISE

To the Editor:

Anna Oakes' Oct. 2 [online] article addresses District Attorney Jerry
Wilson's "weapons of mass destruction" charges against small time
methamphetamine cooks based on his assessment that existing penalties for
meth lab offenses are too lenient. Many think these bizarre charges don't
fit the crime and are overly punitive for relatively low-level drug offenses.

Less obvious are the deceptive political agenda and feckless manipulation
driving events. Novel to our region, meth labs are commonplace elsewhere,
the phenomenon gradually migrating from the west coast during the last
decade. Thousands of small labs are seized annually in Midwestern states,
notably Oklahoma and Missouri; recently Alabama and Tennessee have been
heavily afflicted. Sharp regional outbreaks with dozens of busts, lately
seen here, are ordinary occurrences in these locales. Determined
enforcement, harsh punishment and shrill, overheated propaganda haven't
slowed the trend much, if any.

Our enforcement officials have been quite aware of these issues and have
long anticipated meth labs' arrival, giving Wilson and colleagues ample
time to request appropriate sentencing revisions and calmly educate the
public. It appears they've forsaken such preparation in favor of awaiting
the inevitable crisis, feigning surprise and capitalizing on public alarm
to stampede lawmakers into hasty enactment of expensive, politically
expedient remedies known to be marginally effective. In this context,
equating drug manufacturing with terrorism is easily seen as merely a ploy
to amplify the hysteria. Policy makers should denounce these theatrics and
obtain sober disinterested advice from experienced sources not bound to
predictable criminal justice perspectives.

Mett Ausley, Jr., MD Lake Waccamaw NC