Meth Lab Fight Moves Into Supermarkets
Police Still Busting Meth Labs At Record Pace
POSTED: 10:14 p.m. MST January 8, 2002
UPDATED: 10:31 p.m. MST January 8, 2002
DENVER -- When it comes to methamphetamine busts, 2002 is continuing the record-breaking pace of last year. Now, police are targeting the cold and flu aisle at the grocery store.
One local drug task force has already shut down its fifth lab in 2002. The prevention focus is shifting towards stopping the flow of meth ingredients, 7NEWS reported.
Cold and sinus medication looks pretty harmless, and it is when taken in small quantities. But because each of the pills contains substances that are key to manufacturing methamphetamine, boxes of the medication are often bought or stolen in mass quantities, 7NEWS reported.
Authorities are wondering if they can stop that from happening.
In Thornton Monday night, masked members of the North Metro Drug Task Force inspected the inside of what they said was a methamphetamine lab.
"Lot of dangerous chemicals, lot of hazards here. It's actually a very complete lab," said Sgt. Jim Gerhardt, task force member.
No meth lab is complete without the array of products -- all legal -- that when combined make the drug so dangerous.
The ephedrine or pseudoephedrine found in cold and cough medications are also key to cooking up methamphetamine. That is why boxes are known to fly off store shelves. Now, authorities are trying to discourage that.
"We're trying to limit the amount of boxes that people can obtain at one time, because we see when somebody is trying to make meth, they use large amounts of these cold tablets," agent Connie Rose of the Lakewood police said.
At Safeway Supermarkets, they already prevent customers from buying more than eight of the packages at any one time. Other store measures make it harder for people to buy the medicines in bulk.
Still, labs seem to be flourishing during this cold and flu season.
"We expect these trends to continue, and outrageous numbers again this year of labs," Rose said.
The Lakewood Police Department has set up a team to try to convince stores and gas stations to move their cold medicine behind the counter.
Safeway tries to confine the medicine to blister packs that are harder for meth makers to open.
Cold and sinus medication looks pretty harmless, and it is when taken in small quantities. But because each of the pills contains substances that are key to manufacturing methamphetamine, boxes of the medication are often bought or stolen in mass quantities, 7NEWS reported.
Authorities are wondering if they can stop that from happening.
In Thornton Monday night, masked members of the North Metro Drug Task Force inspected the inside of what they said was a methamphetamine lab.
"Lot of dangerous chemicals, lot of hazards here. It's actually a very complete lab," said Sgt. Jim Gerhardt, task force member.
No meth lab is complete without the array of products -- all legal -- that when combined make the drug so dangerous.
The ephedrine or pseudoephedrine found in cold and cough medications are also key to cooking up methamphetamine. That is why boxes are known to fly off store shelves. Now, authorities are trying to discourage that.
"We're trying to limit the amount of boxes that people can obtain at one time, because we see when somebody is trying to make meth, they use large amounts of these cold tablets," agent Connie Rose of the Lakewood police said.
At Safeway Supermarkets, they already prevent customers from buying more than eight of the packages at any one time. Other store measures make it harder for people to buy the medicines in bulk.
Still, labs seem to be flourishing during this cold and flu season.
"We expect these trends to continue, and outrageous numbers again this year of labs," Rose said.
The Lakewood Police Department has set up a team to try to convince stores and gas stations to move their cold medicine behind the counter.
Safeway tries to confine the medicine to blister packs that are harder for meth makers to open.
Previous Stories:
- December 23, 2001: Clandestine Meth Operation Discovered In Denver
- December 20, 2001: State Prepares Meth-Lab Crackdown
- December 5, 2001: Meth Use Rising As Task Force Honored
- November 22, 2001: Meth Lab Explodes
- September 27, 2001: Suspected Meth Compound Raided For Fourth Time
- August 3, 2001: Clad In High-Tech Gear, Police Make Meth Bust
- May 31, 2001: Meth Is Like The Devil, Former Addict Says
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