It’s the fastest-rising drug problem in the country – the use of methamphetamines or “meth” – a highly addictive drug that destroys people’s lives.

Meth labs – the secret locations where this dangerously addictive drug is made – have sprung up throughout the state. They are being set up faster than police can find them and shut them down. The crime that surrounds the production of meth, and protection of the hiding places where it’s produced, cause headaches for police and make their jobs all that much more dangerous.

The volatile/flammable chemicals used to make the drug, such as anhydrous ammonia, pose a serious danger to communities and to law enforcement. In addition, the so-called “precursor” substances for the manufacture of meth are available legally in drug stores. Pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine, used properly, are decongestants that relieve nasal discomfort caused by colds, allergies, and hay fever. Some brand names of pseudoephedrine include Afrin, Sinutab, and Sudafed.

Early in 2005, the State Commission on Investigation issued a report, Methamphetamine Use and Manufacture, which warned that the rapid growth in the drug’s use and manufacture “poses an urgent threat to public health and safety and without new and tougher laws to combat the threat, New York could become a haven for methamphetamine users and manufacturers.”