New set of laws toughen crackdown on meth labs

Monday, Oct. 7, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Nevada law enforcement officers targeting the skyrocketing use of methamphetamine have been armed with a new set of laws.

The new laws make it easier to shut down the labs and prosecute the companies that sell the chemicals needed to make the drug.

The bill received congressional approval and was signed by President Clinton last week. The group of laws and regulations was co-authored by a bipartisan group of Western senators that included Nevada Democrat Harry Reid.

"Criminals are setting up crude labs in mobile homes, apartment complexes and motel rooms across Nevada and cooking up deadly concoctions on stove tops," Reid said. "We must act now before this growing epidemic gets out of hand."

Las Vegas law enforcement officers say methamphetamine has bumped crack cocaine from its No. 1 spot.

The bill puts stricter regulations on the sale of chemicals needed to make methamphetamine, including the over-the-counter drug pseudoephedrine that is used in cold medicine. Officials now can fine companies that sell large quantities of the drug.

The legislation also doubles the maximum prison sentence to 20 years for those who possess drug-making chemicals or drug paraphernalia. Penalties for trafficking and manufacturing methamphetamine also increase.

The bill also allows judges to order defendants to pay for the cleanup of meth labs, which must be designated as hazardous waste. This year, Metro Police and local federal agents have spent more than $120,000 on lab cleanup.