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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Authorities say there is some good news in the fight against methamphetamine.
The number of meth lab seizures in Utah has plummeted 84 percent since the state had one of the highest number of raids per capita in 1999.
The federal Drug Enforcement Agency reports that 38 Utah labs were raided in 2005 -- compared to 242 in 1999.
Some law enforcement officials believe that restrictions on the sale of meth-related products like cold medicines that contain chemicals used in the production of the drug have led to the decrease. There has also been an increasing push to shut down the labs.
Although the number of labs in the state has sharply diminished, use of the drug hasn't. The Utah Attorney General's office says there is enough meth being imported to fill the void. And demand hasn't slowed.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
