WAR ON METH

How is the war against meth going? Pretty well it would seem, considering
that Jasper County led the state of Missouri in clandestine labs seized in
2001 and that Missouri was No. 1 in the nation in that category.

In Jasper County alone, 119 meth labs were broken up by law enforcement
officers. Missouri put 1,599 out of business, topping the 1,472 reported in
California.

The explanation seems simple and straightforward: excellent police work.
Officers trained in what to look for in detecting labs, and they are
getting more and more practice at it.

There is a downside. There are too many meth labs operating in this county
and this state. For every one busted, one can only assume there is another
- - and perhaps even more - still operating.

The problem is that meth makers can concoct their dangerous brew almost
anywhere and at any time. Labs have been found in basements and garages, in
motel rooms, in the back of vans and in rural fields.

The drug is a potential killer. Not only is it highly addictive, but the
ingredients can be deadly. Makers are not chemists, but people who mix
ingredients without any knowledge of their poison potential. Unbelievably,
users don't know or care what they are putting into their bodies.

The fumes from the cooking meth are highly toxic and extremely volatile.
The crackerjack work being done by lawmen is making Missouri increasingly
unfriendly to meth labs. Now if we can turn up the heat even more.