The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that across Missouri methamphetamine laboratory incident seizures totaled 2,096 during 2011, an increase of more than 6% from 2010. Daviess County didn’t contribute to the tally this year with zero meth lab seizures in 2011. Between 2005 and 2011, the county seizures are as follows: one in 2005; one in 2006; two in 2007; one in 2008; one in 2009; zero in 2010; zero in 2011.
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The state of Missouri overall saw a drop in the number of meth lab seizures in 2006, after anti-meth lab legislation was enacted. However, from 2007 to 2011, the number of meth lab incidents in Missouri has increased steadily. This rise can be attributed in part to meth manufacturers circumventing laws that restrict the legal limit purchase of pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is the key ingredient used to make meth. It is also the only ingredient that
cannot be substituted in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
Missouri Methamphetamine Laboratory Incident Seizures are as follows between 2007 and 2011 — 2007 – 1,285; 2008 – 1,487; 2009 – 1,774; 2010 – 1,960; 2011 – 2,096.
Methamphetamine laboratory incident seizures are classified into three categories: operational/nonoperational labs, chemical/glassware/equipment seizures, and lab dump sites. All law enforcement agencies in the state are required to report the seizure of methamphetamine laboratories to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The Patrol then enters Missouri’s seizures into the National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System, which is maintained by the Drug Enforcement Administration at the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) in El Paso, Texas.
Missouri also continues to provide training to certify law enforcement officers to safely respond, investigate, and clean up meth labs. The 40-hour certification course, entitled "Hazardous Waste & Emergency Response for Meth Labs," is cosponsored by the Patrol and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Since the inception of this training, 37 classes have been sponsored and over 1,000 persons have been certified.