Meth labs on the decline but new method could change that

Even though meth lab busts increased slightly in North Carolina in 2009, the numbers continue to plummet in McDowell, which held the top spot in the state for lab seizures three years running.
Despite North Carolina's small jump from 195 busts in 2008 to 206 in 2009, the total number of labs found in the state remains 40 percent lower than in 2005, when authorities uncovered 328.
"The decrease in the number of labs is due to a combination of factors," said Lt. Shanon Smith, who heads the McDowell County Sheriff's Office's narcotics unit. "The new law makes it more difficult for people to buy pseudoephedrine. Second, local, state and federal authorities have cracked down on them in McDowell County. More than 50 of our meth cooks got lengthy federal prison sentences of eight to 20 years."
Smith said he and his detectives have seen an influx in crystal meth -- the purest form of the drug – being transported into the county.
"Why should they cook it when it's just a phone call away?" Smith stated.
Meth is a highly addictive illegal drug that can be cooked in labs located in homes, apartments, motel rooms and cars. They contain hazardous chemicals that can catch fire or explode.
Statistics from the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation show McDowell authorities busted one lab in 2001, seven in 2002, seven in 2003, 43 in 2004 (tied with Rutherford County for No. 1 in the state), 61 in 2005 (No. 1 in the state), 25 in 2006 (No. 1 in the state), five in 2007, six in 2008 and two in 2009.
"We're realistic. We know we've still got some meth in the county," said the lieutenant. "But the information we get concerning labs has dwindled down to nearly nothing. In 2004 and 2005, you could walk outside and throw a rock and it would land on a meth lab. We rarely get information anymore because the who's who among meth cooks in this county is in federal prison."
Meth labs peaked in North Carolina in 2005, with 328 discovered that year. The number of labs dropped significantly starting in 2006, due in large part to a law that Attorney General Roy Cooper advocated to cut criminals' access to pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient used to make meth.
Under the law, all pills containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine must be sold behind a pharmacy counter. Purchasers must be at least 18, show a photo ID and sign a log to buy the products. The law limits purchasers to no more than two packages at once and no more than three packages within 30 days.
After the law took effect, the state's lab numbers dropped to 197 in 2006, 157 in 2007, 195 in 2008 and 206 in 2009.
But Smith thinks the decrease in labs is short-lived. State authorities have seen the emergence of labs using the one-pot cook method. Also known as "shake and bake" labs, this process is fast, easy to set up and produces little waste or evidence for the cook to dispose of. With this method, criminals make the drug in a 2-liter plastic soda bottle using only a small amount of pseudoephedrine.
"We have not seen it yet, but we suspect we'll see these one-pot labs start popping up," the lieutenant stated. "Then the number of lab busts is going to increase again."
One thing that's going to aid in those busts, according to Smith, is a new electronic tracking system the SBI is developing.
"There are no longer going to be anymore paper logs at the pharmacies," he stated. "A computer system is going to do it all for you. We will just type in a name and it will alert us if the person has been buying a lot of pseudoephedrine. It's going to be a handy tool."
Not only will the system work and compare names throughout North Carolina but also in surrounding states. The system, expected to be operational in North Carolina within the first few months of 2010, will track sales of pseudoephedrine by pharmacies in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi.