NEW BILLS AIM TO PROTECT KIDS FROM METHAMPHETAMINE LABS

SUMMIT COUNTY - The increasing number of crystal methamphetamine labs
throughout the state has prompted legislators to introduce three bills
for the upcoming legislative session that increase penalties for
parents who make the drug.

Summit County Sheriff Joe Morales said he's glad Colorado is on the
cutting edge in addressing the issue.

"It's one of the most dangerous drugs out there because of its
manufacturing process," Morales said. "It puts a lot of people at
risk. Hopefully, these bills will help deter some of that."

One bill would increase the charges to third-degree felony child abuse
against parents who make meth in homes where children are present.
Another bill would make it illegal for someone to knowingly sell
ingredients used to make meth. A third bill allows district attorneys
to charge parents in civil court and makes it easier for them to
remove children from meth-lab homes.

All three bills have bipartisan support.

Laws pertaining to driving under the influence have set a precedent
that should make the child-abuse portions of the bills legal. Under
Colorado law, district attorneys can file child abuse charges against
people who are driving under the influence with kids in the car.

"Kids don't have a say-so," Morales said. "They don't control the
vehicle, and here's some drunk parent putting them at risk. Same with
these meth labs that are cooked in apartments or homes and kids are
around. The people (the courts) have to be the advocate for these kids."

Crystal meth

Crystal methamphetamine got its start in Hawaii in the late 1980s and
then made its way to California, Morales said. In Colorado, its use -
and manufacture - is prevalent in communities west of Summit County
and along the Front Range.

In San Miguel County, it is one of the biggest problems law
enforcement faces. This summer, Breckenridge and Sheriff's Office
authorities apprehended a couple accused of operating a meth lab in
San Miguel County.

According to Morales, the drug has not made major inroads in Summit
County.

"Sure, there's folks here that use it," he said. "Fortunately, we've
had little activity as far as labs go. We monitor it very closely, and
we have a pretty good intelligence network in the county. We also hope
some of the young kids are bright enough to know this is a drug they
don't want to mess with."

According to Morales, the drug, which can be ingested in any form, is
highly addictive and causes irreversible nerve damage.

"It'll affect them the rest of their lives," he said.

But its manufacture is simple - and profitable.

"The stuff is cheap to make, and they get a premium price," said
Silverthorne Police Chief John Patterson. His officers have broken up
two small labs in recent years, neither of which involved children.
"It's the drug of choice for a lot of people."

Ingredients can be obtained in grocery and hardware stores, and
Internet chat rooms outline how to make it. Law enforcement routinely
monitors those rooms to evaluate what new drugs might be on the
horizon and what markets dealers might be targeting.

The chemicals used to make the drug are highly volatile. Improperly
stored and mixed chemicals have exploded, destroying entire apartment
complexes or homes and killing people - including children who were
innocent bystanders.

"You see the footage of firefighters and cops bringing little kids out
of these meth labs," Morales said. "These kids don't have any way to
protect themselves. They have no choice when mom or dad or sister or
uncle decides to bring dangerous chemicals home."

The Proposed Bills:

=80 Make the manufacture of meth in the presence of children a
third-degree felony, punishable by four to 12 years in prison.
Sponsored by Rep. Pam Rhodes (R-Thornton).

=80 Allow district attorneys to charge parents in civil court, lower the
burden of proof and make it easier for authorities to remove children
from homes in which crystal meth has been made. Sponsored by Rep.
Cheri Jahn (D-Wheat Ridge) and Sen. Ken Arnold (R-Westminster).

=80 Make it illegal for people to sell materials to someone they know is
using them to make meth. The misdemeanor is punishable by a $10,000
fine. Sponsored by Rep. Tim Fritz (R-Loveland) and Sen. Jim Dyer
(R-Centennial).