KOSCIUSKO — New data released by the Indiana State Police indicates a decline in methamphetamine lab seizures in north central Indiana, according to State Rep. Curt Nisly (R-Goshen).

Several counties experienced a drop in meth lab seizures between 2015 and 2016. For example, in Kosciusko and Elkhart counties, meth lab busts went down from 58 to 40 and 41 to 22, respectively.

“Many communities, including ours in north central Indiana, have felt the devastating effects of the state’s meth epidemic,” Nisly said. “Last session, I voted in favor of a law to crack down on meth cooks by making it more difficult to purchase large amounts of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient used in meth production. These county statistics signify the effectiveness of these recent reforms along with the hard work of area law enforcement.”

During the 2016 session, Nisly supported a law to combat Indiana’s growing number of meth labs. Nisly said the law makes purchasing large amounts of pseudoephedrine, a common decongestant as well as key ingredient used to manufacture meth, more difficult for meth cooks to obtain. The law also empowers local pharmacists to ensure law-abiding Hoosiers maintain legitimate access to these cold medications.

Recently, ISP reported that statewide meth lab busts went down 35 percent in 2016. In addition, the number of children removed from meth lab environments went down nearly half from the 291 cases in 2015. Meth labs can easily catch fire and leave behind toxic contamination, causing costly injuries to first responders and meth cooks, while endangering innocent children and neighbors.