The number of methamphetamine lab seizures in Missouri increased by six-percent in 2011. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there were 2,096 meth labs seized last year, compared with 1,960 in 2010. That continues a recent trend that has seen the number of seizures grow from less than 1,300 in 2007.
The State Patrol attributes the increase in part to meth manufacturers circumventing laws that restrict the legal limit purchase of pseudoephedrine. That is the key ingredient used to make meth, as it is the only ingredient that cannot be substituted in the manufacture of the drug.
Missouri saw a drop in the number of meth lab seizures in 2006, after anti-meth lab legislation was enacted. But the state has seen a steady increase in the number of meth lab incidents from 2007 to 2011.
The state of Missouri continues to provide training to certify law enforcement officers in safely responding to, investigating, and cleaning up meth labs. Over one thousand people have been certified since the inception of the training.
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