Summit Held To Address Tulsa Meth Labs

By Jennifer Loren, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Meth is back.  The number of meth labs busted by Tulsa Police is on the rise again.  On Monday night, city leaders and community organizations held a summit hoping to come up with some new ideas to stop an old problem.

"Right now northeast Oklahoma is under siege with this," said Tulsa County Sheriff's Sgt. Bob Darby.

Sgt. Bob Darby with the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office says meth makers have evolved.  These days it only takes a few everyday ingredients and pop bottle to make a new kind of meth called shake and bake.

"This is everyday stuff that you can purchase just about any place. We're talking about some Coleman fuel, drain cleaner of course and then the cold packs," said Tulsa County Sheriff's Sgt. Bob Darby.

Darby says people are surprised to find out just how easy it is.

"They say well that's stuff I have in my house. I didn't know that's what they were making meth with. They were imagining what we've trained people about five years ago, to look for all these big elaborate chemicals and glassware. You don't need that now. This is all you need right here," said Tulsa County Sheriff's Sgt. Bob Darby.

Shake and bake meth is what caused some deadly apartment fires in Tulsa last month.  When it's not made correctly it can explode.

"We can't have another month like March. We can't have the number of fatalities we've had. We can't have the number of property loss," said Tulsa Fire Captain Michael Baker.

Last month three people died in meth-related fires.  There were six confirmed meth lab fires total.

"It's something we need to address right away," said Tulsa Fire Captain Michael Baker.

And, that's why Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor called for a meth summit.

The summit brought local organizations and leaders together to share information with each other and with the public.  The message was clear:  meth is back and it's a problem that will take more resources to tackle.

Tulsa Police have made 62 meth lab busts already this year, putting the city on track for the worst year since the anti-meth law was enacted in 2004.

If you think someone you know is making meth you are urged to call the Meth Hotline at 592-METH.

3/31/2009 Related Story: Tulsa May Form Meth Task Force