August 28, 2006

Purdue DVD gives tips for outdoorsmen regarding drug litter

"Fall is a normal time for us to see an increase in drug trash and meth labs found," said Steven King, Drug and Crime Control Division director for the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. "As outdoor activities, such as hunting, farming and school groups organizing service activities increase, combined with vegetation starting to die, it usually results in more meth trash being found."

Meth, or methamphetamine, is a commonly abused stimulant drug that is part of the amphetamine family.

Purdue Extension recently sent informative DVDs to every Extension office in the state about cleaning up Indiana roadsides, meth indicators and advice about what to do if trash from a meth operation is found.

The DVD can be purchased by other groups and is part of a larger educational program called "One of Rural Indiana's Greatest Challenges," which was developed by Purdue Extension to help fight meth in Indiana and increase awareness of its production and use. The program can be downloaded. Topics include the impact meth has on families, how to talk to kids about meth use, how to recognize a meth lab and what actions to take if you find one.

"As a result of mobile meth labs, operators are discarding waste materials in ditches and other remote areas, making it dangerous for volunteers who provide roadside cleanup services," said Karen DeZarn, Purdue Extension program coordinator. "Individuals or groups cleaning up roadsides need to know common indicators of meth-related trash."

Items such as coffee filters with red or brown stains, glassware, two-liter soft drink bottles with a red or white film inside and a residue at the top, small medical-type hoses, several empty boxes of cold medication and several empty boxes of brake cleaner are good indicators of meth trash, King said.

"If you find meth trash, do not touch it. Mark the area, immediately call local law enforcement and wait for them to arrive," he said.

More than 77 pounds of crystal meth was seized in Indiana during 2005, according to the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration. For each pound produced, there are five to six pounds of toxic waste created. The cost to clean up each lab often exceeds $4,000. Not only is the drug dangerous and harmful to the environment, but also to those who come into contact with the remains, DeZarn said.

With permission from the University of Nebraska, Purdue Extension reproduced "Safe Roadside Cleanup," a DVD designed to advise volunteer groups such as 4-H, Girls and Boys Scouts, and sororities and fraternities. It includes safety information about how to respond if meth litter is found, along with a message from Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

"It is an ongoing collaborative effort of many organizations to fight the drug that exploded across rural Indiana," DeZarn said. "It costs Hoosiers millions in taxes, tears families apart, causes overcrowding in jails, backs up counties' courts and leaves children without parents."

State and local officials seized more than 1,300 labs last year.

The Meth Protection Act requires more security on medications containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, which are used in the production of meth. Since the law went into effect, lab seizures have decreased by about 25 percent, said Lori Petro, coordinator of the Indiana State Police Meth Suppression Unit.

The Safe Roadside Cleanup DVD can be purchased for $3.50 and is available online, via e-mail to media.order@purdue.edu, by fax to (765) 496-1540 or by telephone to 888-EXT-INFO.

For questions and more information, contact DeZarn at (765) 494-8254, kdezarn@purdue.edu.

Writer: Julie Douglas, (765) 496-1050, douglajk@purdue.edu

Sources: Karen DeZarn, (765) 494-8254, kdezarn@purdue.edu

Lori Petro, (317) 899-8695, lpetro@isp.state.in.us

Steven King, (317) 234-1653, sking@cji.in.gov

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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