Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Methamphetamine labs are on the rise in Alabama

Methamphetamine use is a cancer within many rural communities nationwide. Federal and state legislation has been implemented in recent years to curb the production of the drug, commonly known as meth, but this has not curtailed its existence.

Mike Cason writes in the Birmingham News that Alabama is facing a resurrection in meth labs. "More meth cooks in the past year have started using a simpler, 'one-pot' cooking method that takes fewer ingredients and can be mostly completed in a two-liter plastic soft drink bottle, authorities say."

The Talladega County Drug Task Force has "found 70 of the 'one-pot' or 'shake and bake' meth labs since October,' compared to 45 meth labs discovered by the task force in all of 2007.

Matt Germanowski, a supervisor in the federal Drug Administration's office in Birmingham told the News that, "the 'one-pot' labs have not emerged as a significant problem in Jefferson, Shelby and Tuscaloosa counties. 'Meth is still a rural drug.'"

No comments: