STATEHOUSE (March 30, 2017) – New data released by the Indiana State Police indicates a decline in methamphetamine lab seizures in East Central Indiana, according to State Rep. Greg Beumer (R-Modoc).
Beumer said several counties experienced a drop in meth lab seizures between 2015 and 2016. For example, in Delaware County, meth lab busts went down from 234 to 145. In Randolph County, meth lab busts went down from 12 to 10.
“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; however, there is still work to be done as Delaware County is still the highest in the state for meth labs. 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.”
During the 2016 session, Beumer championed a 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 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.
Recently, ISP reported that statewide meth lab busts went down 35 percent in 2016. In addition, the number of children removed from meth lab environments went down nearly half from the 291 cases in 2015. 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.
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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.
