METH LAB SEIZURES INCREASE

The ease of producing methamphetamine has helped spread meth through
Illinois like a flu virus. One meth cook tells five people how to make
it and they each tell five people - and the problem grows. Illinois
State Police figures show that meth use continues to expand in
Illinois, although the pattern is not consistent statewide. While the
number of lab seizures has leveled off in some Illinois counties, the
totals are still increasing in others.

In central Illinois, the number of methamphetamine labs seized in
Macoupin County jumped from six in 2000 to 19 in 2001. Morgan and
Greene counties reported their first cases of seized meth labs in
2001. On the other hand, in Adams County, where meth apparently first
entered Illinois, there was a decrease from 31 cases in 2000 to 19 in
2001. Christian County saw a drop from 17 to eight labs. Six labs were
seized in Sangamon County in 2000 and five in 2001. Montgomery County
broke up 29 labs in 2001, up from five the previous year.

Before 1996, abuse of methamphetamine was a minor problem in Illinois.
Meth was far more prominent in California, Oregon and Washington. Once
meth manufacturers realized the Midwest was an ideal place to set up
shop, however, the problem grew quickly.

In 1996, only one meth lab was discovered in Illinois - near Quincy,
in Adams County. Since then, the numbers have increased each year. In
1997, there were 24 seizures in the state; in 1998, there were 98; in
1999, there were 246; in 2000, there were 403 seizures of meth labs.
And last year, authorities seized 666 meth production facilities.

Master Sgt. Bruce Liebe, clandestine laboratory program coordinator
for the Illinois State Police, said the number of labs seized this
year, through May, is 294, but "that number will conceivably go
higher." Meth producers like rural areas in part because the strong
smell given off by the process of meth production is more noticeable
in a city. "When you are living side by side with more people, that's
going to be more noticeable and draw attention," said Macoupin County
Sheriff Gary Wheeler. "Farmhouses don't have anyone around them. When
they're cooking, they don't draw that attention."

Rural areas also are popular lab sites because one of the key raw
materials for meth, anhydrous ammonia, a widely used nitrogen-based
fertilizer, is available in farm tanks. Anhydrous thefts have become a
growing problem in rural areas.

There are drawbacks for the meth chemist, however. Anhydrous ammonia
is a volatile substance that can be deadly if a person is exposed to
large amounts or ingests it. Contact with the skin can lead to
chemical burns. One attempt to steal anhydrous ammonia in Macoupin
County left a potentially dangerous level of the gas in the area.

"We had a case where someone left the valve open on a tank and it
fogged the whole area," Wheeler said. "We checked all of the hospitals
to see if we could find the person who attempted to steal it because
we just knew they got blasted."

With such hazardous chemicals used in meth production, why is meth
becoming so popular in Illinois?

"It's not like cocaine where you have to find a big dealer," said
Virden Police Chief Brad Vance. "They can just make it."

Aside from anhydrous ammonia, most of the ingredients can be found in
a local hardware store. Production is inexpensive, and Vance said a
gram of meth has a street value of about $100, depending on its
quality. The physical effects of meth include an increase in the
user's attention span and a decrease in fatigue. Meth users are
characterized by their ability to remain awake for extended periods.

"We had one girl who came into this jail and bragged that she had been
awake for 23 straight days," Wheeler said.

The dangers of meth heavily outweigh any pleasures claimed by users.
Repeated use of meth can cause anxiety, paranoia, violent behavior and
hallucinations. Use of meth also can cause an inflammation of the
heart lining and can, in some cases, lead to a stroke or other
cardiovascular problems. A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
spokesman said most meth overdoses occur when people are "chasing the
high." He said a user's body becomes saturated with the drug, making
it hard for people to get the feeling they got the first time they
used meth.

Macoupin County meth statistics may indicate a growing problem, but
Wheeler sees the numbers in a different way.

"These numbers are the number of reported busts," Wheeler said. "That
means my guys are out their doing their jobs."