Two arrests for one meth lab in Elberta

ELBERTA, Ala. (WALA) - HazMat crews had to be called in to a house on Kenneth Lee Lane in Elberta, after Patrick and Christina Stitt were arrested for manufacturing methamphetamine.

Elberta police responded to a tip late Friday night at the Stitt's home. When they knocked on the door, they spotted a working meth lab in the front of the house.

The couple was arrested, and a HazMat team was called in to clean up the lab. That's when they found the jackpot in the back yard.

"There really wasn't much to say. Everything what we saw was in plain view, by the time they came to the door," said Elberta Police Chief Mickey Pledger.

While making the arrest, officers said they were able to identify another drug user, by simply answering the telephone. They said the phone continued to ring, so they answered it.

Investigators believe the person on the other line was calling to buy meth. They kept their identity from the caller, and carried on a conversation.

"It turned out to be someone looking for Patrick Stitt," said Pledger. "So my officer put two and two together, and said, 'He's in the shower right now, if you want to come over and get something, come on by.'"

When Joseph Lee Bullinger showed up at the home, officers ended up arresting him on a drug charge.

Here are some facts about meth according to National Institute on Drug Abuse:

Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug that is similar in structure to amphetamine. Due to its high potential for abuse, methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. Although methamphetamine can be prescribed by a doctor, its medical uses are limited, and the doses that are prescribed are much lower than those typically abused. Most of the methamphetamine abused in this country comes from foreign or domestic superlabs, although it can also be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, neighbors, and the environment.

How Is Methamphetamine Abused?

Methamphetamine is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol and is taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking.

How Does Methamphetamine Affect the Brain?

Methamphetamine increases the release and blocks the reuptake of the brain chemical (or neurotransmitter) dopamine, leading to high levels of the chemical in the brain-a common mechanism of action for most drugs of abuse. Dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, the experience of pleasure, and motor function. Methamphetamine's ability to release dopamine rapidly in reward regions of the brain produces the intense euphoria, or "rush," that many users feel after snorting, smoking, or injecting the drug.

What Treatment Options Exist?

Currently, the most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction are comprehensive cognitive-behavioral interventions. For example, the Matrix Model-a behavioral treatment approach that combines behavioral therapy, family education, individual counseling, 12-step support, drug testing, and encouragement for nondrug-related activities-has been shown to be effective in reducing methamphetamine abuse. Contingency management interventions, which provide tangible incentives in exchange for engaging in treatment and maintaining abstinence, have also been shown to be effective. There are no medications at this time approved to treat methamphetamine addiction; however, this is an active area of research for NIDA.