LAW OFFICERS MAKE INROADS INTO GROWING METH PROBLEM

Second In A Series

Pat McWilliams thinks his county is getting a handle on
methamphetamine, but he's not ready to celebrate.

Henderson County, Texas, logged 19 meth-related arrests and raided
one meth lab during August. A year ago, McWilliams figures, the
county would have uncovered "probably four or five labs" per month.

McWilliams, a spokesman for the Henderson County Sheriff's Department
in Athens, said enforcement pressure and tougher state laws are
helping agencies such as his deal with the meth problem.

Texas, like many states, now requires pharmacists to keep products
containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine -- used in meth production --
behind counters. And customers must show identification to purchase
products such as Sudafed and Claritin-D. That's not to say
methamphetamine is under control in Texas, which is among the
national leaders each year in federal seizures of the drug, according
to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

On Sept. 9, Henderson County officials intercepted a pound of meth
ice, with a street value of $30,000, McWilliams said. Three
Dallas-area men were arrested in that incident, which occurred during
a traffic stop.

"We may be seeing some headway on this, at least in terms of meth
labs," McWIlliams said. "But, then again, that could be false hope.
We know this last bust involved meth that was bound for distribution
in Henderson County. It wasn't just passing through.

"You can't let up on this," he said, "or it will get on top of you."

That's what state officials are saying across the country, from
Oklahoma to Indiana to Pennsylvania.

As of July 1, Indiana residents could no longer purchase Sudafed and
Claritin-D without asking a pharmacist for the products. A new state
law requires that those medications be kept behind the counter, or at least

in an area covered by a surveillance camera.

Other restrictions are in place, including a requirement that those
purchasing such products be at least 18 and provide a photo identification.

Gov. Mitch Daniels said estimates from police show that
methamphetamine-related crimes cost Indiana taxpayers $100 million
each year. A state police report shows that meth-lab busts increased
every year from 1998 through 2004, from fewer than 10 that first year
to more than 1,500 a year ago.

"This insidious killer hurts our communities in every way," Daniels said.

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry called methamphetamine a "scourge" in his
state. Oklahoma's law, enacted in 2004, is considered the toughest in
the country and has been used as a model by other states.

While making meth-related products harder to access, the Oklahoma law
also provides tougher penalties for meth crimes. For example, simple
possession of meth can mean a mandatory minimum seven-year prison

sentence.

"As a result of our tightened restrictions ... meth lab seizures have
dropped by as much as 70 percent," Henry said. "No wonder other
states are clamoring to duplicate our actions."

One of those is Pennsylvania, where Gov. Ed Rendell listed anti-meth
measures among the top priorities for his 2005 legislative agenda.

"No one walking down the street should worry that they will be
injured by an explosion caused by criminals who are cooking
methamphetamine, or worry that their children are getting fast and
ready access to this highly addictive drug," the former Democratic
national chairman said. "It's time to get tough on these crimes, and
these bills will

place these bad actors behind bars for a long, long time."

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration in late August detailed
the results of "Operation Wildfire," a national meth crackdown effort.

DEA administrator Karen Tandy said the program involved law
enforcement agencies in more than 200 cities and led to 427 arrests.
Seized were:

- - 209 pounds of methamphetamine,

- - 201,035 tablets of pseudoephedrine,

- - 158 kilograms of pseudoephedrine powder,

- - 224,860 tablets of ephedrine.

She said 56 clandestine meth labs were raided with the help of 96
search warrants.

The DEA commits more than $145 million per year to combat meth, U.S.
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said. Between 1997 and 2004,
97percent of the clandestine lab seizures reported to DEA were either
methamphetamine or amphetamine labs.