WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT METH

Methamphetamine sneaked into Missouri like a thief in the night.

Three years ago both federal and state prosecutors handled few meth cases. Today it is consuming the workload of police and prosecutors. Meth, a dangerous and addictive drug, is filling up jails and ruining lives.

In Missouri, the meth problem has reached epidemic proportions. The state is second only to California in the number of meth-producing labs seized and meth-related arrests.

Meth is endangering neighborhoods and countryside as volatile chemicals are mixed in kitchens or farm fields and then dumped into creeks or down drains. Nationwide, one in five meth labs us discovered as the result of a fire or explosion.

But the meth problem has gone unnoticed by too many Missourians. The time has come to get educated.

Missouri has made a gutsy start with its new meth law, championed by some as one of the toughest in the nation. It becomes official Friday. The new statute stiffens penalties for manufacturing and distributing meth. It establishes drug courts for stepped-up treatment, along with a long list of other changes.

A key element of the new law gives law enforcement a much-needed tool to control meth ingredients. Nearly every item can be purchased over the counter. Now it becomes a felony to possess these ingredients if the intent is to manufacturer meth.

It's a good start, but legislation alone won't break meth's stranglehold on Missouri.

More help is needed for rural police and sheriff departments that are reeling from a growing number of lab seizures and meth abusers. It doesn't stop there. Drug abusers also turn to other crimes to feed their habits. Tight budgets won't allow additional officers. But who can crush an epidemic when there's not enough time to handle the day-to-day emergencies?

Even larger organizations are having trouble keeping up. About 90 percent of investigations by the SEMO Drug Task Force is busting meth labs in 15 Southeast Missouri counties. That doesn't mean the cocaine or marijuana problem has gone away. It's just simmering on the back burner -- and waiting to bubble over.

Missouri needs stepped up federal assistance. Right now, the feds are picking up the bill for lab cleanup. These costs are substantial and growing. Last year, the DEA spent more than $1.8 million to clean up hazardous materials at Missouri meth labs.

The feds have targeted meth manufacturers and distributors for prosecution. That's critical because, despite the new Missouri law, federal penalties remain much stiffer. The sentencing guidelines leave little leeway, and federal criminals must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.

But local federal prosecutors already have their hands full. One of every two criminal cases prosecuted by the feds in Southeast Missouri last year involved meth defendants.

This is one job the state can't do alone. This isn't Missouri's problem. It's a national emergency. Nationwide, about 60 percent of all prisoners are convicted on drug charges, and meth is fast becoming the drug of choice.

Over the next eight days, the Southeast Missourian will explore the meth epidemic that is gripping both Missouri and the nation. This is the first of three editorials that will address the meth issue. Wednesday's editorial will target meth users and education. Next Sunday topic will be the need for mandatory drug reporting.

Staff members have interviewed more than 100 sources during the past six weeks. The result is more than 35 stories, 30 photographs and over two dozen graphics that will help the community better understand this menace.