LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS METH TRAINING

Missouri is always on the lookout for a booming industry, but one of the state's fastest growing enterprises is a bane, not a blessing.

It is called methamphetamine or crank, and Missouri is becoming the meth mecca of the United States. Missouri had the dubious honor in 1997 of leading the nation in the discovery of meth labs. More than 500 labs were discovered, some small enough to fit in the trunk of a car.

It is a No. 1 ranking Missouri could do without.

Southeast Missouri has had more than its fair share of the cases. One indication of the region's growing problem with meth came with a bang on New Year's Day when a meth lab exploded in Bertrand.

This powerful and highly addictive drug can be produced with over-the-counter materials such as drain cleaner. It is also far too lucrative. Criminals can make a batch of meth for as little as $500 and sell it for $5,000.

Local, state and federal authorities are scrambling to keep up with the growing caseload.

The state fire marshal's training session on how to recognize meth labs -- the only such training offered by the state -- is so popular with law enforcement that is it booked months in advance. The course was developed with a grant, but funding ran out last year.

Officers with the Division of Fire Safety have conducted some 78 classes for nearly 2,500 participants since last April. Meth labs, in addition to the hazardous materials used, are prone to explosions and fires which can be deadly as well as costly.

The training program needs a financial boost. In Gov. Mel Carnahan's new meth offensive, he has asked the Legislature to earmark $3.4 million in the state budget to address the meth problem.

In addition to the fire-safety concerns of meth, the illegal drug also produces a trail of contamination that can last for years. Each pound of meth produced creates five to six pounds of hazardous waste. The toxic chemicals used to cook the drug pollute the air, water, land and livestock.

Carnahan is pushing for tougher penalties for those who manufacture the drug, along with more training for law enforcement officers. He also wants to expand the list of meth-producing chemicals that must be registered with the Missouri Department of Health.

Missouri needs to combat the meth problem head on and in every conceivable way. Local and statewide officers and agencies must be armed with the latest information, equipment and penalties to curb meth production it the state.