DRUG BUST WAS AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE

I witnessed my first methamphetamine lab bust this past Thursday. The Leader
Call's county reporter, Brian Livingston, received a call Thursday morning
alerting him of a methamphetamine lab discovery in Ellisville. I decided to
ride with him to get the story, as I thought it would be interesting to see
something like this first hand. And interesting it was.

I must admit that I was completely ignorant of the methamphetamine
production process. When I first read about a methamphetamine lab bust, I
immediately thought of a chemist and test tubes. Nothing could be further
from the truth. My understanding of the crystal meth process has changed
drastically since the first time I ever heard of the drug.

We drove up to the house in Ellisville and walked into the fenced backyard,
the location of the "crime scene". I could have been walking into the
backyard of any house in the county, meaning there was nothing special about
this yard or the location of the yard. In fact, there is not much space
between the houses in this particular neighborhood.

Because this was my first encounter with methamphetamines, Southeast
Mississippi Drug Task Force Agent Stan Livingston and Jones County Sheriff
Larry Dykes explained the process and identified the materials at the scene.
With the exception of one thing, all the items could be found at any major
discount store. In fact, many of the chemicals used to make methamphetamine
are the same chemicals we have under our kitchen sink. These are the same
chemicals we lock up or store in places away from our children.

Meth Labs A Major Problem

Sometimes referred to as "crank", "speed" or "crystal meth,"
methamphetamines have become the drug of choice for far too many in our
community, not to mention in our country. It seems our law enforcement
officers locate a new lab almost every week.

Our local task force, which serves Jasper County, Smith County, Covington
County and Jones County, has been very busy since October 1, 2002. In the
last nine months, the task force has discovered 38 methamphetamine labs in
the four counties, resulting in 42 arrests. Seven of those arrests were
cases where the person was actually caught in the act of producing
methamphetamines. While the above statistics comprise four counties, the
task force said that most of the labs were found in Jones County.

What Are They Thinking?

In America, our society takes pride in our cleanliness. We scrub our bodies
and our clothes with anti-bacterial soap. Our food must pass strict sanitary
guidelines. We have laws regarding clean air and clean water.

This drives the baffling question, "What in the world possesses people in
our society to put these poisons into their bodies?" Crystal methamphetamine
is a mixture of toxic ingredients that include the extracts of batteries and
drain cleaners. The concoction is something we could use to clean the oil
stains off the driveway.

Methamphetamine causes severe damage to the liver, which tries to filter out
the caustic substances in the drug. The heart races, body temperature
increases, blood pressure increases, and nerve fibers degenerate. All these
lead to damage to the heart, lungs, and brain. However, the drug is so
addictive, users disregard the damage to their body and focus on getting
their next fix.

Look For Danger Signs

Methamphetamine labs can, literally, pop up in any neighborhood. Thursday's
drug bust was made based on a complaint of a strong, strange smell called in
to police. If you notice a strong ammonia smell in your neighborhood, it may
be coming from a meth lab. A call to the police may save lives.
Additionally, drug store clerks are instructed to notify law enforcement
officers if they witness someone attempting to purchase abnormal amounts of
the common cold medicine Sudafed.

The best crime-fighting tool the police possess are your eyes and ears. In
another incident this past week, Laurel Leader-Call carrier Tim Williams
alerted police to a strange vehicle and a broken window at George's Tobacco
in Ellisville, resulting in a burglary bust. Actions like these are how we
take our streets back from the criminals and make our communities safer for
everyone. Good work, citizens!