STATEHOUSE (Jan. 17, 2017) – Indiana State Police statistics indicate a 35 percent decline in statewide methamphetamine lab seizures during 2016, according to State Rep. Doug Miller (R-Elkhart).
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 have seen progress as a result of our law enforcement and the success of recent reforms passed by the General Assembly,” Miller said. “Being a Hoosier lawmaker, it has been a priority of mine to reduce the number of Indiana children who are being exposed to these meth labs. Cutting this number in half in just one year is a great start, and we will continue to fight illegal drugs in this state.”
Over the past three years, Indiana led the nation in meth lab incidents. During the 2016 session, Miller sponsored a new law to combat Indiana’s growing number of meth labs. Miller 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. Doug Miller (R-Elkhart) represents House District 48, which includes portions of Elkhart County
A high-resolution photo of Miller can be downloaded by clicking here.
