NEW LAW CRACKS DOWN ON METH

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Law enforcement officials hope a new law that
took effect July 1 will put operators of clandestine drug laboratories
behind bars.

Operating a clandestine drug laboratory is now a felony punishable by two
to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of $2,000 to $25,000.

Previously, the charge would have been possession with intent to
distribute, and the penalties were usually less harsh, according to law
enforcement personnel.

Clandestine labs are properties on which a person assembles any chemicals,
equipment or combination to manufacture methamphetamine or the street drugs
better known as crank, speed, crystal meth, crack or LSD.

"The new law is a great weapon in our arsenal when prosecuting clandestine
lab operators," said Col. Howard E. Hill Jr., superintendent of the West
Virginia State Police. "The law proves that the legislature, prosecutors
and law enforcement are very serious when it comes to dealing with the
operators of these labs."

On The Rise

Clandestine labs and their accompanying hazards are on the rise and will
continue to grow unless violators are severely punished, Hill said.

Last year, police dismantled more than 100 labs in West Virginia. During
the past six months, the state's Bureau of Criminal Investigation in
Charleston has investigated nearly 30 labs. These are in addition to labs
other agencies have investigated.

"Not only is meth a serious drug that's being abused, it is also volatile
and destructive if handled improperly," Hill said. "People who approach a
lab could be in serious danger. The chemicals are blinding, even the fumes
can injure you."

In Virginia, the situation is just as bad, as Harrisonburg and Rockingham
County last year again earned the title of meth capital of the state. Col.
Don Harper, chief of the Harrisonburg Police Department, takes it one step
further, calling the city the meth epicenter of the Eastern Seaboard.

Meth, or crank, is a stimulant that can be smoked, snorted or injected to
produce a "high" that lasts four to eight hours. A highly addictive drug,
meth affects the central nervous system by causing euphoria and the
cardiovascular system by increasing blood pressure and pulse.

It can also cause cardiac arrhythmia and stroke, State Police spokesman Jay
Powers said. Long-term effects include insomnia, irritability,
aggressiveness, stomach disorders, weight loss, paranoid psychosis and
auditory and visual hallucinations.

Dangerous Chemicals

According to the State Police, chemicals used in meth production are
flammable, with fires often occurring during production. Lack of
ventilation and prolonged exposure to the fumes can cause death. Improper
storage can cause the chemicals to deteriorate or eat through the containers.

The waste products are considered hazardous materials and are never
disposed of properly. Most often, the waste is dumped in creeks or
dumpsters or is flushed down the drain. Roughly one pound of meth can
produce about eight pounds of hazardous waste, Powers said.

Law enforcement officers face danger when investigating these laboratories,
he added.

"The toxic fumes can overwhelm an unsuspecting officer who may be in a
residence where a laboratory is located," Powers said. "Many times the
manufacturers protect their laboratories by placing 'booby traps' in or
around the immediate area. These traps can be explosive and deadly in nature."

Indicators of a clandestine lab include a lot of pedestrian traffic and a
chemical odor around a residence, shed or outbuilding; large quantities of
antihistamine tablets and laboratory glassware; and ventilation fans
running, especially in cold weather.

The State Police encourages anyone who might have information about a
suspected clandestine laboratory to call the Bureau of Criminal
Investigation at 304-558-2600.