Meth labs in decline thanks to new law

Police often have to deal with chemical
explosions in illegal meth labs.

The state of Oregon passed a law to make 15 common household cold and allergy medicines “prescription only” – and it seems to be working.

The law targets healthcare products that contain pseudoephedrine, an important component for the production of methamphetamine in illegal labs.

Since the law has come into effect, meth lab incidents have gone down by 96 percent, according to the district attorney of Lincoln County in Oregon, who says that arrests, meth treatment admissions and crime rates in general have also decreased.

Oregon used to be a hotbed for meth labs, which can pose serious health risks to the people cooking up the drugs as well as residents and children in the nearby environment.

Because of the chemicals used in meth production, police had to deal with many fires, explosions and environmental exposure concerns.

While meth labs continue to be a problem in Oregon, the decrease in incidences makes a big difference. The district attorney says they used to take down 500 meth labs a year, which has gone down to eight so far this year.

Other states may soon follow Oregon’s example.

Source: The Register-Herald

Risks associated with meth labs

The cleanup of meth labs is also a dangerous task for law enforcement officers everywhere.

Short-term exposure to high concentrations of chemical vapors that may exist in methamphetamine laboratories can cause severe health problems or even result in death.

The risks come from the flammable and corrosive chemicals used in the process, particularly the solvents used in extraction and purification.

Electrocorp has designed powerful portable air cleaners for law enforcement that can be used on the job and remove a wide range of airborne chemicals, odors, gases and other contaminants.

They are equipped with a large activated carbon filter as well as HEPA and UV germicidal filtration (optional).

Contact us for more information: 866-667-0297.