High Price Of Meth Is Pushing Users To New Lengths

COLORADO SPRINGS – A meth lab bust in Colorado Springs this week is bringing light to a new surge in an old drug trend. The high cost of meth on the street is pushing users to new lengths to get their fix.

“We’re starting to see an increase in labs in Colorado Springs as the price increases people don’t have enough money.”

Sergeant Bob McDonald with Colorado Springs Police Metro Vice and Narcotics says, no matter what the obstacle users will do what ever it takes to get their fix, even if that means, making the drug themselves.

Years ago the so-called “super labs” were the big trend to manufacture large quantities of methamphetamine. Sgt. McDonald says today, most meth labs look more like a dirty kitchen or even a small suitcase or backpack.

“The labs you can fit in a backpack, you can cook one day, fit into a suitcase or backpack and throw in to the trunk of your car. “

To save money users are creating these labs all over the city even in the nicest neighborhoods.

“Meth labs have been found in churches, in vehicles in the back of pickup trucks,” says Sgt. McDonald.

These “cooks” are messing with dangerous chemicals. Just one little slip could lead to explosive results. Police say if you see unknown chemical waste, discolored piping or coffee filters and a detect a strong odor, that could be a meth lab.

“What I describe as a strong, cat littler dirty sock smell, ammonia smell, that’s associated with a lab that’s actually cooking,” McDonald adds.

The identity of the suspects taken into custody for Wednesday’s meth lab on the west side of Colorado Springs hasn’t been released to the public. Sgt. McDonald says their still digging for more information to try and stop labs from popping up in our neighborhoods.