STATEHOUSE (Jan. 17, 2017) – Indiana State Police statistics indicate a 35 percent decline in statewide methamphetamine lab seizures during 2016, according to State Rep. Greg Beumer (R-Modoc).
Indiana State Police reports 943 meth lab busts occurred in Indiana, representing a 35 percent drop from the 1,452 incidents in 2015. In addition, the number of children removed from meth lab environments went down nearly half from the 291 cases in the same year. Over the past two years, child removals from Indiana meth labs declined more than 57 percent. Meth labs can easily catch fire and leave behind toxic contamination, causing costly injuries to first responders and meth cooks, while endangering innocent children and neighbors.
“We were one of the top states in the nation for meth lab busts,” Beumer said. “This decline proves that our state is moving in the right direction. Public safety officials have been working hard to enforce the rigorous laws the General Assembly has made to help curb meth production. It is still a top priority of mine to continue to reduce the number of Hoosier children exposed to meth labs, and help Indiana beat this drug epidemic.”
Over the past three years, Indiana led the nation in meth lab incidents. During the 2016 session, Beumer sponsored a new law to combat Indiana’s growing number of meth labs. Beumer said the law makes purchasing large amounts of pseudoephedrine, a common decongestant as well as a key ingredient used to manufacture meth, more difficult for meth cooks to obtain. The law also empowers local pharmacists to ensure law-abiding consumers maintain legitimate access to these cold medications.
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State Rep. Greg Beumer (R-Modoc) represents House District 33,
which includes Jay and Randolph counties and a portion of Delaware County.
A high-resolution photo of Beumer can be downloaded by clicking here.
