Drug labs raise cause for
concern
By Hannah Brooks
Staff
Writer
Indiana police departments have seized more than
100 labs that produce methamphetamine.
The rise in methamphetamine lab, or meth lab, seizures
in surrounding counties is a cause for concern in the Tippecanoe County
area, said one police official.
"Given there are so many (meth labs) in the
surrounding counties, we have to believe that we are not exempt from
that," said Lt. Fred Davis of the Purdue Police Department. Three
meth labs have been seized in Tippecanoe County so far this year. All
were found abandoned along country roads and no people were arrested.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,
meth, which is short for methamphetamine, is also called "speed"
and "crank." Methamphetamine hydrochloride, which is in clear
chunky crystals, is called "crystal," "ice," or
"glass." It can be injected, snorted, smoked or taken orally.
To take action against meth labs, some local pharmacies
have put a limit on the amount of Sudafed and other medications with
ephedrine in them that can be bought at one time.
Ephedrine is a cause for concern because it is
one of the main chemicals used to make methamphetamine. Other chemicals
used to make meth are drain cleaner, lye, hydrochloric acid, ether and
anhydrous ammonia. Also, lithium batteries are often stripped for a
heat source to make methamphetamine.
Meth labs are usually homemade with some type of
tubing. Materials that usually can be found around meth labs are packages
of Sudafed, ether, automotive fluid cans, lye or drain cleaner, tubing,
funnels and propane tanks.
"You have all those chemicals that, if disposed
of improperly, can contaminate our environment," said Davis. The
process produces several pounds of toxic waste and is very costly to
clean up once discovered.
Meth labs frequently have a strong smell.
"Their stinky operation gives them up,"
said Davis. He said that this is how the police find meth labs in addition
to someone who is selling meth. "If they are making a surplus of
it, they have to be selling it somewhere," he said.
People are probably making it and using it themselves
or among a small group of people, said Davis. Usually, it is not made
in large quantities specifically for selling, he said.
"As a stimulant (meth) causes a feeling of
increased awareness, confidence, and reduced need for sleep," said
Corey D. Linkel, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Coordinator for the
Purdue Student Health Center.
According to the 1996 National Household Survey
on Drug Abuse, 2.3 percent of the population has tried methamphetamine
at least once in their lifetime.
The population of Purdue students using meth is
small to none, but the population of Purdue students making meth is
even more unlikely, said Davis.
"It’s just a stinky nasty process that
you just can’t do in a dorm or apartment complex without being
detected," Davis said.
The small quarters make it hard to cover up the
strong odor, he said.
Davis said if anyone finds what he or she thinks
are materials for a meth lab, they should contact the police immediately
so that it can be taken care of and the environment cleaned up.
To contact the Purdue Police Department, call 494-8221.
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