Methamphetamine has become an epidemic in New Mexico communities and a strain on law enforcement resources, says Attorney General Patricia Madrid, who will kick off a one-day training session at 9 a.m. next Tuesday at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Albuquerque.

Not only is meth closely connected to a wide range of crimes such as domestic abuse, child endangerment and identity theft, but is becoming increasingly prevalent in rural areas of the state, says a news release from the Attorney General's Office.

That's because there are limited law enforcement resources, easy access to meth ingredients and large open spaces making meth labs harder to detect, the release said.

The number of meth cases handled by narcotics teams in New Mexico grew in one year from 267 in 2002 to 325 in 2003, and meth labs seized by DEA agents in the state jumped from 47 in 1999 to 190 in 1993, according to the release.

The summit will include the following topics: Meth 101, a Meth Watch retail program, Drug Endangered Children, the DEA Perspective and future trends. Concluding the session will be training law officers in meth lab safety and preservation of evidence and prosecutors on meth trial preparation.

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