Methamphetamine manufacturing is on the rise in Oklahoma and Mayes County law enforcement is educating themselves and others in an effort to combat the problem.

Lieutenant Charles Smallwood, drug investigator with the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, and Denver Davenport, an investigator with the District Attorney’s Drug Task Force, team up often to do battle.

“We’ve seen a constant rise in the last few months,” Smallwood said. There have been 18 meth labs discovered and processed in Mayes County during the month of October, a significant increase according to Smallwood.

Law enforcement contributes the rise to, among other things, the simplicity of the latest method of manufacture. While it’s not a new method of meth making, it is new to this area of the United States.

“It’s been called the ‘One Pot Method’ in the past, but has been coined the ‘Shake and Bake’ in this area,” Smallwood said. The method utilizes a two liter bottle and consists of mixing volatile chemicals together in the small space. Oxygen is the catalyst for the chemical reaction, which makes cap removal extremely dangerous. Unfortunately, many meth makers simply throw the used two liter bottle away, most times with the lid still in place.

“These are as dangerous as any method we’ve seen,” Smallwood said. “This is more of an instant bomb.” Smallwood attributes two structural fires in October to meth manufacture gone wrong.

While both men believe that the Oklahoma law restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine, which is a prime ingredient, is still helping law enforcement combat the problem, Davenport said that the most recent method requires less of the cold medicine to manufacture the dangerous substance.

The latest method does include lithium from batteries, and store owners are becoming aware of the altered ingredients. One store owner had lightbulbs go off in his

head when Smallwood explained the use of the battery lithium.

“One said that explained the empty packages of batteries packs that he’d found in the bathroom,” Smallwood said, adding that the owner attributed it to theft, but had no idea why.

An employee at a county grocery store was on her toes, however, when Smallwood and Davenport conducted a test some time ago.

“We went into the store and purchased basic things that combined could have been used

in the manufacturing process,” Smallwood said. “This employee was paying attention, she followed us a bit, then contacted the Sheriff’s Office about the purchase.”

It is the wish of law enforcement to educate store owners on the most recent methods being used so more eyes are on the problem. If you educate those who don’t use then there are more eyes watching the ones that do, they said.

“We leave our contact information with retailers,” Smallwood said. “It’s no secret now that if you go buy two or three packs of lithium batteries, I’m probably going to get a call about it.”

While prescription medication abuse is still widespread and certainly dangerous, it doesn’t carry the explosive possibilities.

“It’s such a great hazard,” Davenport said. Smallwood agreed. “Prescription bottles don’t blow up.”

When something new is encountered, law enforcement agencies rely heavily on each other and outside agencies to educate themselves.

“We contact DEA, ROCIC, OSBI chemists and other state law enforcement agencies who are more familiar with this method of cooking,” Smallwood said, adding that the Association of Oklahoma Narcotic Enforcers, or AONE, is the bread and butter network in Oklahoma.

“They help connect us with whoever we need that might have information to assist us in our effort,” Smallwood said.

Nowadays when meth labs are discovered, full haz mat gear is used to process the lab. The dwelling is sometimes striped to the framework in order to be deemed “cleaned.”

“This includes suits, gloves, booties, breathing apparatus and more,” Davenport said.

However, in the past, before the dangers were known, law enforcement went unprotected into those situations. The effects are not known.

“We are probably the unfortunate guinea pigs,” Smallwood said of the chemical dangers .

“We just don’t know

the effects longterm,” Davenport added.

“If you see a two liter bottle discarded on the side of the road or anywhere and it contains a white or off-white sludge, do NOT touch it,” Smallwood said. “Call law enforcement and let us handle it.” Smallwood added that typically, the bottles are not labeled.