OSCEOLA COUNTY -- Osceola County Sheriff James Crawford says as the snow melts the cans and bottles your kids pick up for extra money or as part of an organized clean-up could actually be parts of mobile meth labs.
7&4's Kate Fox talked with local law enforcement about this springtime problem.
These mobile meth labs are run out of cars or RV’s and then thrown out onto the side of roads. It's dangerous waste that contains materials that could be toxic to your or your child's health.
Concerned Mother Jennifer Hoffman says, "It just freaks me out because its like I can't keep my eye on them 24-7, they're out here riding their bike they could stop, pick it up, who knows take a sniff, drink it!"
Hoffman says she is well aware of the dangers mobile meth labs pose for her two young girls but for parents who don't, Osceola County Sheriff James Crawford has a warning.
Sheriff Crawford says, "You would get chemical burns from the stuff they use, if it got on your skin or if you inhale it, you could have damage on your lungs that could be irreversible."
Sheriff Crawford says if you’re out cleaning the roadways, there's a big chance you'll pick up at least a part of a mobile meth lab. He says kids need to be told that if they are going to pick up cans or bottles that they need to wear gloves to protect themselves against hazardous materials.
He also says parents need to clue in their kids on how to identify a mobile meth lab.
Sheriff Crawford says, "Most of the time it a clear quart jar that they may have thrown out the window, or a bottle that would have windshield wiper fluid in it-- the heavier plastic."
While law enforcement will do their part to combat the meth problem, Sheriff Crawford says parents should follow the example of mother's like Jennifer Hoffman.
Hoffman says, "I’ll stay focused and if I see anything on the ground especially in my own yard, I will pick it up and take care of it right away before they even have a chance to."
Officials in Emmet and Cheboygan Counties are also urging parents to keep a closer eye on their children as the weather improves. Law enforcement says do not try to take care of the toxic substances yourself. If you come a cross a mobile meth lab they say to leave the area immediately and call 9-1-1.
