CITIZENS VOICE SUPPORT FOR METH LAB OPPONENTS

All across Watauga County, citizens are uniting to "fight the scourge" of
clandestine and illegal methamphetamine labs, and state officials in high
places are lending their personal endorsement.

The Sept. 9 Community Meeting on "Meth Labs - Watauga County Public Enemy No.
1," which was sponsored by Watauga County Sheriff Mark Shook and the Boone Area
Chamber of Commerce, has received the seal of approval from North Carolina
Attorney General Roy Cooper and State Bureau of Investigation Director Robin
Pendergraft.

Cooper is well aware that "Watauga County is on the front lines" of the war on
drugs, and he says that how we "fight this scourge" is vitally important to the
future of North Carolina.

The meth labs epidemic is spreading from west to east, Cooper said. "Show us
what we need to do to fight this problem and eliminate this evil. It has to be
stopped."

Cooper told the audience, "Fifty dollars buys you everything you need to cook
meth."

SBI chemist Ann Hamlin said the meth recipe is simple, but deadly. "You can
make this stuff in the comfort of your own home - on your stove top," she said.
Cooper concurred. He said the cooking process involves toxic chemicals that are
dangerous to the environment. "It's highly volatile and explosive," he said.

Van Shaw, the SBI agent who supervises the clandestine laboratory field
operations, stunned the audience with the comment that the major concern of the
meth lab busters is "the fear of getting blown up."

Cooper said the business community can aid in "detection, intervention and
protection" by learning what products go into making meth.

Some of the items are common cold pills containing ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine, acetone, ammonia, camping fuel, kitchen matches, hydrogen
peroxide, coffee filters, turkey basters, kitty litter, iodine, lye, methanol,
muriatic acid, red phosphorus, sulfuric acid and paint thinner.

"The methamphetamine problem is reaching epidemic proportions, "Cooper said.
"It's affecting children who are neglected, abused and infected."

Pendergraft said she is especially concerned about the number of children that
agents discover living in dwellings that have meth labs on premises.

Outside the meeting, Sheriff Shook shared a true story about a primary grade
student who told his teacher that he knew all the ingredients needed to make
meth. Why, his parents did it all the time.

What was scary, according to Shook, is that the youngster was absolutely
accurate in reciting the formula. Joedy Eller, Chair of the Board of Directors
of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, said the simple truth is: "We're not
going to tolerate meth labs in our county. We want them out of here, shut down
and the people responsible arrested and held accountable."

"We are here to draw the line in the sand, and say forever more, 'No' to
drugs," Eller said. "We want to build awareness - and public outrage - for meth
labs."

Shaw said that 118 meth labs have been busted in North Carolina so far in 2003,
and 26 of them have been in Watauga County. This underscores the vigilance of
local law enforcement personnel.

Several members of the audience at the Community Meeting offered words of
commendation to Sheriff Shook and encouraged the department to keep up the good
work.

Shaw confirmed that meth lab busting is a costly undertaking, with a price tag
of several thousands dollars per raid. He said part of the funding comes from
federal and state coffers, but local government shoulders some of the burden as
well.

Can you imagine living in a community that wouldn't provide adequate funding
for public safety?

Let's hope that county commissioner Keith Honeycutt, who was present and
accounted for on the front row, was all ears and can carry the mail.