SBI WARNS OF METH LAB DANGERS

CALDWELL - Methamphetamine users experience a stimulating, euphoric high
from using the drug but its negative effects include addiction, psychotic
behavior and brain damage. And that's just the beginning of the dangers this
drug imposes on society, said N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper.

Cooper, N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Director Robin Pendergraft
and two SBI agents who specialize in dismantling methamphetamine labs were
in Boone Monday addressing the problems being caused by the fast growing
popularity of this drug.

Cooper said the home laboratories manufacturing methamphetamine, common
known as speed, crank and meth, use dangerous chemicals. The fumes given off
by some of these chemicals, such as hydrogen chloride gas, can destroy the
lungs, he said.

There are also extremely flammable and potentially explosive chemicals, such
as ether and starter fluid, used in the manufacture of this drug, the
attorney general said.

For every pound of methamphetamine manufactured, five pounds of toxic waste
is created, said Cooper.

The number of labs creating the drug is on the rise, Cooper said. In 1999,
authorities dismantled six clandestine labs. In 2000, 11 labs were
destroyed. The next year that number grew to 34. In 2002, 98 methamphetamine
labs were discovered. And so far this year, 118 methamphetamine labs were
destroyed the SBI's Clandestine Laboratory Response Team.

Twenty-four of the labs detected in the state this year were in Watauga
County, said Cooper. "We know that it is a problem that is going to move
east across the state," he said.

Maj. Alan Jones of the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said it is just a
matter of time before this epidemic spreads into Caldwell County. Like
Watauga County, Jones said Caldwell County has remote areas where labs can
operate without detection.

So far in 2003, authorities in Caldwell County have discovered at least two
clandestine labs and arrested two men in connection to the manufacture of
methamphetamine.

What is fueling the growth of this illegal industry, according to Cooper, is
the availability of the chemicals and ingredients used in its manufacture.
The key ingredient is pseudoephedrine, a drug used in over-the-counter cold
medications such as pseudofed and Actifed. Other easily obtainable
ingredients used in the manufacture of the drug include phosphorous found in
matches, fuel line antifreeze, muratic acid, iodine, solvents like acetone
and anhydrous ammonia - a product used in agriculture.

Manufacturing the drug is also very profitable. Watauga County Sheriff Mark
Shook said an investment of $400 in ingredients can easily be turned into
over $4,000 in profits for a "meth cook." The product sells on the street
for $75 to $100 a gram.

By 2004, Agent Van Shaw, head of the SBI's Clandestine Lab Response Team,
said it is projected that there will be an estimated 300 to 400 meth labs
operating in the state.

Cooper said one to way slow down this illegal industry is for retailers to
be aware of the products used in the manufacture of meth and to limit their
sale.

"It's a community problem," Cooper said. "We all have to work together."

Jones said that Wal-Mart has limited the amount of pseudofed it will sell
the individuals at one time. Wal-Mart managers have also been instructed to
contact law enforcement when they observe someone attempting to purchase
large quantities of the products used in the manufacture of meth, he said.

Shaw said labs can be set up anywhere, at campsites, hotel rooms, apartments
and single-family homes. Anyone stumbling upon a clandestine laboratory is
putting themselves in grave danger, he said. Law enforcement officers,
paramedics and firefighters who might have to respond to a fire or any other
type of emergency at a meth lab site need to be trained about how to
recognize a lab operation and how to protect themselves.

Members of Shaw's team enter lab sites wearing protective chemical suits and
self-contained breathing apparatuses.

Jones said students taking basic law enforcement training courses are
learning about meth labs and how to safeguard themselves and other emergency
response personnel.

SBI Director Robin Pendergraft said that children are often present in homes
where meth is being manufactured. A total of 54 North Carolina children have
been rescued from meth lab homes.

Pendergraft said these children are in serious peril from the chemicals and
the toxic gases created in the "cooking" of meth. Because the parents are
often addicted to the drug, these children are also subject to neglect.

Pendergraft said social workers will also need training on how to deal with
these problems.