MIDWESTERN GOVERNORS TO TACKLE METH ABUSE

The number of arrests from meth lab busts continues to drop across the
state, a sign of progress that comes as Midwestern governors meet in
Indianapolis this week to figure out how to better battle the highly
addictive drug.

Last month, 24 people were arrested as part of methamphetamine lab
busts, according to the Indiana State Police. That's a significant
drop from the 103 arrests in March.

"We make no pretense to having solved it, but we've made dramatic
progress this year," Gov. Mitch Daniels said last week.

Daniels will talk about Indiana's progress with more than 150 leaders
from 13 states participating in this first regional methamphetamine
summit of the Midwestern Governors Association. The summit, which
starts Wednesday in Indianapolis, will feature an opening speech by
John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The summit's focus will be on strategies for treatment, prevention,
child protection and law enforcement.

Methamphetamine is an easy-to-make drug that's concocted from
chemicals and pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, which are found in cold
medicine. The drug, which damages the central nervous system, is
responsible for filling jails, endangering children and causing
environmental problems across the Midwest. Already, Daniels said,
Indiana has made strides by passing a law restricting the sale of cold
medicines. Also, the backlog of drug evidence waiting to be analyzed
at the State Police lab has dropped from 8,413 cases in February to
3,263 cases last month.

"We hope to learn from other states about a problem that affects us
all and that we're going to be working on for a long time," Daniels
said.