Supporters of State Senate Bill 1172 are trying to crack down on the manufacturing of methamphetamines within 2,000 feet of a college campus.
Oklahoma has a serious problem with meth labs, said Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Howe. Oklahoma has the most meth labs per capita in the United States. Meth labs can be very dangerous around college campuses where students gather and in rural areas around the state, he said.
?Meth labs are particularly dangerous because of the chemicals involved,? Corn said. ?They?re very volatile. They can pose serious health hazards and are extremely dangerous if they explode. I don?t think we need to expose our children and students at our colleges and universities to those types of dangers.?
The legislation will have some deterrent on the use of meth if it becomes law, said Ray Caefer, manager of criminal justice services for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. It will also cause those who do not get caught to think about the consequences of their actions.
?Any effect there is going to be will be very difficult to say because the rules are pretty stringent right now and they?re still manufacturing,? Caefer said. ?Treatment might be a better way to go.?
The bill also proposes to increase the penalty for manufacturing meth within 2,000 feet of a park or childcare facility. Anyone who is found guilty of manufacturing meth could get a minimum sentence of five years to life, up to a $100,000 fine or both.
The bill is scheduled to be heard on the Senate floor in the next couple of weeks.
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