A Growing Threat

We’ve all heard the discussion about methamphetamine and the threat it poses to our communities. We think the problem is elsewhere, never in “my” neighborhood, not with “my” children. But the facts speak for themselves; the problem is here, in our schools, in our communities. According to Koch Crime Institute, the “average meth cook” teaches 10 other people to make meth. If there is only one meth producer in the community it wouldn’t take long to have many different meth labs in the area.

According to the US Department of Justice, 15.3 percent of New Mexico high schoolers have reported using methamphetamine. That is three students in every twenty here in New Mexico who have used the drug. I don’t know about you, but that scares me.

I would venture to guess that many people don’t know much about meth, other than it’s a street drug that is ruining lives.

Methamphetamine is a compound made from inactive ingredients found in nature. However, these ingredients become dangerous when combined with certain chemicals to create a new product. Meth begins with an inactive or marginally-inactive compound such as ephedrine or pseudoephedrine and other chemicals are added to produce the drug. Anything from drain cleaner to battery acid is used in the production of meth.

So, does this have anything to do with the Attorney General’s race? Yes, the Attorney General (AG) helps fight meth by allocating resources to the fight. The AG also develops the attack plans and strategies for prosecuting those that bring meth into communities.

The Attorney General’s office is also responsible for allocating funds for the clean-up of meth labs that have been busted. Each pound of meth produced leaves behind five or six pounds of toxic waste, according to Koch Crime Institute. Leftover chemicals and byproducts are often dumped down residential plumbing, storm drains, or directly onto the ground. Chlorinated solvents and other toxic products used to make meth pose long-term hazards because they can persist in soil and groundwater for years. Clean-up costs are high and solvent contaminated soil usually must be incinerated.

With Gary’s experience in the state legislature, he has first hand knowledge of anti-methamphetamine law, having written the original New Mexico law attacking the manufacture of methamphetamines. He also hold’s a PhD in Chemistry, giving him unique knowledge and understanding of the chemical make-up of meth as well as the processes behind its production.
Experts in the field of chemistry say that “A candidate with a PhD in Chemistry would bring a different level of understanding to the Meth problem. He/she would understand the relative importance of the various reagents, such as pseudoephedrine, used to make meth, how hard they would be to get, what dangers they might impose to the individuals exposed to them and to the environment in which they are found.”

Gary King is also an expert in toxic waste cleanup. As United States Assistant Secretary of Energy he orchestrated the cleanup of toxic waste all over the United States. He understands the threat meth poses to our environment and how to counter that threat.

He is clearly the man we want to handle this growing deadly problem. Gary King has the knowledge and experience to make a difference.