I just heard a breaking report from KGW's news at 11 that there was a Meth lab bust at SE 49th/Powell. This is of note to me for a couple of reasons. First, I've spent a great deal of time in SE Portland in my time at Reed (I lived at 60th & Foster my Junior year), and it's near an elementary school. Nearby Creston is a K-8 school with an enrollment of 300 students.

According to the report, there was enough materials to make 35 pounds of meth, which would qualify it as a "super lab" under normal circumstances. The info isn't up on KGW's website yet, but I'll post a link when it becomes available.

Man, this meth problem is just hideous. I see endless commercials on the subject, all of which feature people who look as if they're decaying. As one of the State's biggest and most visable concerns, it's getting a decent amount of play from our Attorney General candidates. John Kroger, for example, notes on his website that he wants to "fight meth aggressively, with more effective enforcement and a new plan for drug treatment."

At the same time, State Rep. Greg Macpherson touts his meth-fighting credentials on his campaign site. He writes how "in [his] three terms in the Oregon House of Representatives, [he has] been an advocate for public safety, helping to write and pass the country’s toughest anti-meth laws." Moreover, he cites that "as a result, home meth labs in Oregon have been nearly eliminated."

It will be interesting to see what each candidate says when they come out with comprehensive position papers and platforms where they detail a meth agenda moving into the future. I look forward to the work they both will do on the campaign to continue to raise awareness of the issue so labs near elementary schools can be things of the past.