COUNTY OFFICIALS BATTLING METH'S RISING POPULARITY

Its users lured by a long, cheap high, methamphetamine's popularity has
steadily grown with an increasingly diverse cross-section of society,
making inroads into Cobb County.

Although "meth" trails marijuana and cocaine in prevalence in Cobb, the
drug is a fast-growing third, local officials say.

"The reason it's so popular, I believe, is because it is the same high as
cocaine, but it lasts longer," Cobb Assistant District Attorney Jason
Saliba said.

While crack cocaine gives a high for up to 15 minutes, a methamphetamine
high can last 11 hours or more.

Saliba testified before Congress in 2000 that methamphetamine use had been
on the rise since 1997, and he said the trend has continued.

The drug's low cost fuels users who can get a longer high for less cash, he
said.

According to the Atlanta Division of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency,
methamphetamines sold for between $5,000 and $10,000 per pound in 2003,
down from $8,000 to $20,000 per pound in 2002. The DEA said the drop in
price might indicate an increase in availability.

Methamphetamines are part of a group of drugs commonly called "uppers" that
increase heart rate and create feelings of euphoria. Examples are the
designer club drugs Ecstasy, crystal meth and Angel Dust.

The DEA and Cobb officials said most of Georgia's methamphetamines are
produced in Mexico or Western states and smuggled in, but there is an
increasing number of meth labs being found in Georgia, and in Cobb.

In 2002, the Marietta-Cobb-Smyrna Narcotics unit seized 12 methamphetamine
labs. So far this year, they have helped seize eight labs, not counting
several busts made by cities that include Powder Springs and Acworth.

That local trend mirrors the nation, which reported 879 lab seizures in
1996, a statistic that jumped to 2,132 labs seized in 1999.

Maj. John Koehler, head of the MCS narcotics unit, said police have
discovered labs ranging in size from large, room-sized labs to ones small
enough to fit inside a book bags.

"You can actually make the stuff with something as small as a hot plate,"
Koehler said.

In Acworth, police found a portable lab in a car during a routine traffic
stop in January. Austell police have seized four labs across the city so
far this year.

Methamphetamines can be made with over-the-counter supplies mixed in the
right combination.

"There are a lot of people who figure they can just start making it and
selling it themselves," Saliba said.

Although the labs are small, the chemicals used in the drug's manufacture
are a risk to anyone in the area.

"Face it, most of the people who are doing it are not chemists," Saliba said.

The prosecutor recalled a case in which a lab that a man was using in a
hotel exploded, setting the hotel on fire.

Using volatile chemicals like acetone and isopropyl alcohol in a
residential setting presents another risk to the community.

Austell Police Chief Bob Starrett said his department has found several
methamphetamine labs in residential areas inside the city limits.

"People need to know what their neighbors are doing," Starrett said. "This
stuff is toxic when it's mixed together, and you don't want to be around
breathing it."

Because of the toxic nature of the drug, the Environmental Protection
Department assists with every lab seizure in Georgia. A typical lab cleanup
costs $4,000 to $8,0000, but costs can run into the millions.

"It all depends on what they are doing with their sludge," Koehler said.
"Is he boxing his sludge and storing it? Or is he going out back and
dumping on the ground, in which case it could go right into the ground
water, and that could easily cost millions."

Just as the drug can be produced almost anywhere, methamphetamine users can
come from any sector of society.

"Every walk of life, every income is using it," Koehler said.
"Traditionally, it's a young white person's drug, but that's changing."

In April, the DEA reported that a new group of meth users have emerged -
white-collar professionals and college students. Also, a form of crystal
methamphetamine known as "ice" because of its glass-like appearance has
taken hold at some of Atlanta's raves and nightclubs.

School officials, however, haven't reported any methamphetamine-related
offenses in Cobb.

"We haven't had any methamphetamine referrals this year or last year," said
Preston Howard, director of school operations for Marietta schools. "I
think we're pretty well squared away when it comes to drug use."

Saliba warned, however, that that doesn't mean students aren't aware of the
drug.

"I don't want to point any figures or make an accusation, but just because
something isn't being reported doesn't mean it's not there.

Both the DEA and local officials agreed that methamphetamine abuse was
likely to remain a part of Cobb's underground.

"I'm not sure that it's a drug of choice, but it's cheaper and easier to
use," Koehler said.