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Indiana County meth lab bust shines light on large problem facing our region

WHITE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The discovery of a meth lab in Indiana County last week is providing another example of how meth is on the rise around our region.

A tip about possible meth manufacturing inside a North 4th Avenue home just outside of Indiana led troopers to finding multiple one-pot cooking vessels inside, and three people facing charges.

“What we typically see here in Indiana County and throughout the region now is the one-pot method of manufacturing methamphetamine,” Trooper Clifford Greenfield said.

Troopers said the one-pot method of cooking meth is rising in popularity, partly because of how convenient it is to make.

“That can be done in your home, even in a vehicle, shed or outbuilding, in less than an hours time,” Greenfield said.

Channel 11 talked to one of the men facing charges on Monday.

We asked him if he was involved in any of it.

The man who lives here admitted to being an addict and told me he can’t afford to buy it.

He doesn’t sell it, he just cooks it for himself because he knows what’s in it.

He told me the meth helped kick his heroin habit.

But, investigators said cooking with the chemicals can be dangerous.

“There’s the potential due to chemical reactions occurring for an explosion and for chemicals being released into the air,” Greenfield explained.

Even the White House addressed the rise of methamphetamine usage earlier this summer amid the rise in overdoses.

Law enforcement from Westmoreland to Indiana to Beaver said they’ve seen a significant increase of meth usage and meth sales.

The Beaver County DA said even the quality of the meth has changed. It used to be poor quality, home-cooked — now they’re making busts with more refined, commercial grade meth, and sometimes laced with fentanyl.

The price may also entice people to move from heroin to meth.

“I think in many cases they may see it as less expensive. That’s going to depend maybe on the area, but I think that’s a possible factor,” Greenfield said.

Those three people have not been officially charged yet, state police told me they’re continuing to investigate, but they expect charges to be filed soon.

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