Minnesota’s meth labs are disappearing, says the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Four months after a new law limited the sales of decongestants that contain an ingredient for making illegal and highly addictive methamphetamine, law enforcement officials report a sharp decline in seizures of the makeshift labs that have plagued many counties. Minnesota’s law is modeled after moves made by states across the Midwest in the past year in their costly fight to stop the spread of meth.
In 2003, law enforcement agencies in Minnesota seized between 400 and 500 meth labs in the state, up from 100 in 2000. The state spends about $175 million a year dealing with effects of meth use, including cleanup and incarceration. Despite encouraging signs from the new law, meth remains a major problem in Minnesota. State law enforcement officials estimate that 80 percent of the meth in Minnesota comes from Mexico.