LOCAL OFFICIALS: NEW STATE METHAMPHETAMINE LAW LACKS TEETH

PARKERSBURG - A new state law aimed at individuals who operate clandestine
laboratories may be similar to other state drug laws - all bark and no bite,
local officials said Wednesday.

The law is a good start but tougher penalties are needed, local officials
said. The new statute allows prosecutors to charge meth manufacturing
suspects with operating a clandestine lab in addition to the normal charge
of manufacturing meth, said Ginny Conley, Wood County prosecuting attorney.
Both charges carry the same penalty, two to 10 years confinement and
$2,000-$25,000 in fines or both, she said.

The law went into effect July 1 after being passed during the last session
of the West Virginia Legislature.

No matter how many state laws are passed regarding meth, state prosecution
does not compare to federal charges, said Parkersburg police Chief Bob
Newell.

"It's nice to have another law, but it's weak," Newell said. "They're all
weak in this state as far as drug laws go."

Wood County sheriff's Capt. Rick Woodyard, commander of the Parkersburg
Narcotics Task Force, agreed with Newell that West Virginia drug laws need
more bite.

"It's better than what we had, but it still needs some fine tuning,"
Woodyard said.

Woodyard said there are no laws allowing for the prosecution of meth cooks
from the angle of public safety. A variety of volatile chemicals are used in
meth labs, creating a danger of explosions, fires and deadly fumes.

This can result in injury or death being inflicted on innocent bystanders or
anyone living near a meth lab. Meth labs have been found in hotels, motels
and are all too common in apartments and other transient housing, Woodyard
said.

Woodyard wants prosecutors to be able to charge meth cooks for making the
drug near schools.

Also, it should be illegal for any person to possess certain chemicals used
in the meth-cooking process, Woodyard said. It should be illegal for
chemicals such as the volatile an-hydras ammonia to be housed in
unauthorized containers, he said.

Wood County Sheriff Stephen Greiner said drug laws in the state need to be
tougher - it's that simple.

"I think not only the drug laws, but a lot of other laws have a lot of flaws
in them," Greiner said.

Greiner agrees the new law is a start, but it falls short.

"I don't think it's enough. It's better than what we had before. As far as
I'm concerned, there should be more penalties," Greiner said. "We have to go
federal because the state doesn't have the teeth or the horsepower to do it.
You just don't get the punishment."

Newell and Woodyard said the penalties for this new law need to run
consecutively with the penalties for manufacturing meth. The decision on
whether to make the penalties consecutive or concurrent is up to the judge.

"It won't do any good if the penalties run concurrently," Newell said.

Woodyard and Conley said a bill devised by local authorities regarding meth
was not passed in the Legislature. It is commonly acknowledged that the meth
"epidemic" in West Virginia began in Wood County.

"The trend began in Wood County and has been rapidly moving east across the
state," states a press release issued by the West Virginia State Police."