Program will alert retailers of suspicious sales for methamphetamine

LAS VEGAS - Faced with a jump in the number of methamphetamine labs in Nevada, Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa is urging retailers to be vigilant in monitoring the purchase of products that can be used in the labs.

In recent years the state has registered a sharp increase in the number of meth labs discovered by law enforcement. In 1998, nearly 19 labs were seized for every 100,000 residents in Nevada, a statistic that led the nation.

More than 300 labs were seized statewide in 1998, 257 of them in Clark County. The number jumped to more than 400 last year, 362 of them in Clark County. By comparison, Clark County reported 50 labs seized in 1995.

The new program includes posters identifying common over-the-counter drugs used in making methamphetamine. The posters have been mailed to all 1,800 Nevada retailers, who are being asked to place them in a prominent location. Retailers are being urged to encourage their staff to report suspicious sales of over-the-counter cold and allergy medications containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

''Not only is the use of meth dangerous, the manufacture of this illegal drug in makeshift labs is also very dangerous for the surrounding area,'' Del Papa said. ''Not only can the fumes be toxic, many of these so-called labs have caused explosions because the products used for the manufacture of meth are highly flammable and explosive when used in great quantities.''

Tirso Dominguez, a spokesman for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said the plan is designed to make clerks aware ''and gives them a basic knowledge of what to look for.''

The posters include pictures of several of the over-the-counter cold medications, along with identifying several other products - such as bleach, lithium batteries, rubbing alcohol, brake fluid, and charcoal lighter fluid - commonly used in the production of meth.

The posters ask store clerks to ''Help Police - But Don't Be A Hero!''

The posters instruct clerks to call their local law enforcement agency to report any suspicious activity that may indicate manufacturing of methamphetamine, and not to confront the purchaser.