KANAWHA COUNTY SHERIFF EXPLAINS WHAT'S UP WITH METH

Lately, it seems as though you can't turn on the local news without hearing
about a meth lab bust somewhere in Kanawha County.

Meth, short for methamphetamine, is a drug that has gone from relative
obscurity to center stage in the past few years, and local law enforcement
is doing everything it can to stop the problem.

On Feb. 1, Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford partnered with Mike
Agnello of WCHS Talk Radio 58 to educate the public on the dangers of meth.
The two created the program "What's up with meth?" which they have since
taken to schools and churches throughout Kanawha County.

"We're trying to get to everyone we can," Rutherford said.

Recently, the program made its first stop in the upper Kanawha Valley,
where adults and teens alike learned about the drug.

"This drug is not limited to young people," said Agnello, noting that most
meth "cookers" indicted in Kanawha County are actually adults.

Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Charnock and Senate Minority
Leader Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha, also attended the meeting, which was held in
June at Cedar Grove Community School.

Unlike most drugs, which are made from plants, meth is made from chemicals.
Recipes for its creation are easily available. The drug is highly addictive
and widely abused. Some common street names include crank, ice, speed and
crystal.

Despite meth's bad reputation, though, it can actually be used for
medicinal purposes. Narcolepsy, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder
and obesity are some conditions it can treat.

"The dosage is controlled by a doctor," Agnello explained.

It is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a high potential for
abuse. It is only available through a prescription and can't be refilled.

Some ingredients in meth are acetone, battery acid, rubbing alcohol and
ephedrine, all of which are very flammable and can cause the lab to
explode. Such chemicals are also hazardous to the environment.

"Each pound of meth produced leaves behind six pounds of waste," said
Agnello. "Chemicals can stay active for five years."

Most meth cookers operate in clandestine labs, generally inside their home
or garage. Since it is impossible - and illegal - for law enforcement to
search each and every house without probable cause, the sheriff's
department has set up a tip line for the public to use if they grow
suspicious of meth lab activity in their neighborhood.

"The tip line is the best thing we've had in a long time," Rutherford said.
"It will not require anyone to leave any personal information about
themselves."

Since it was started on March 1, more than 2,600 tips have been called in.

However, though a tip can yield a lot of information for police, the court
does not consider it probable cause for a search. In order for police to
enter a suspected lab, they actually have to see or smell meth for themselves.

"In the past five months, 55 defendants have been indicted for cooking
meth," said Charnock.

Because of this program and the tip line, meth use is slowly decreasing in
Kanawha County.

"We used to have three or four labs a day," said Rutherford. "Now, we have
three or four a week."