TOUGHER ON METH

State Sen. Gary Nodler has proposed a plan that would make the manufacture
of a controlled substance within 2,000 feet of a school a Class A felony .

Nodler said the bill was introduced at the request of Dennis Veach,
Carthage police chief, and was supported in testimony by Frank Lundien, an
investigator for the Jasper County Drug Task Force, and Sheldon Lineback,
executive director of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association.

"In recent years," Nodler said, "Missouri has seen a rise in the
manufacture of methamphetamine, a powerful, highly addictive drug. Unlike
other illegal substances, meth can be manufactured in dangerous, makeshift
labs. Often these makeshift labs are located in our neighborhoods and near
our schools. The horror stories surrounding meth production are
frightening. It's crucial that we protect our children from the damage done
by this and other drugs, by passing tougher laws that offer greater
punishment for the offender."

We can't agree more. Meth is dangerous not only as an addictive drug for
users, but the labs can emit toxic fumes, and the chemical concoctions are
highly volatile. Law enforcement agencies wear special protective clothing
in cleaning up these sites. Explosions that destroy a room, a garage or a
house are not unheard of. It is unimaginable that one these labs might be
near a school.

It is difficult to tell how Missouri's war on meth is going. More and more
labs are being discovered and destroyed, and more and more makers and
traffickers are being sent to jail. But meth remains a highly popular drug
for addicts and a highly profitable one for manufacturers.

Missouri needs to get tougher with meth makers and sellers. The state may
not eliminate this trade with new anti-drug laws, but it could make the
climate for those who set up the labs more hostile.