Day 1:

METH MANIA

Recipe takes root in Berwick
BERWICK -- The local methamphetamine boom can be traced back to a simple recipe, brought to town by a Berwick native returning from the South.

From large lab to lone user/cook

Downsized formula is portable, needs no expertise, police say
When local authorities were first warned years ago about meth labs, they were taught to look for giant drums of chemicals used for mass production. But when the first meth lab surfaced here, it was a single bottle of liquid found bubbling in the basement of a Berwick home in 2010.

Review of Arrests, Suspects

EDITOR'S NOTE: This review of methamphetamine busts and suspects comes from court records, police reports and newspaper archives.

Day 2:

'I WAS ... A GHOST'

Meth addict cooked, lied
The following story is based on the recollections of a recovering methamphetamine addict who agreed to speak on the condition his name would not be printed. His name has been changed, but no other details have been altered.

'Instantly' hooked

Users shake out into cooks, smurfs with hard habit to quit, experts say
People who use methamphetamine become exhilarated, hyper-alert and hooked. "It's pretty much instantly addictive," says State Police Cpl. John Casciano. "You use it, and it just takes over."

Day 3:

Drug labs leave homes tainted

Codes officer: Berwick council mulling guidelines for toxic meth properties
BERWICK -- After police have hauled the suspects away and the hazmat team has packed up the evidence, the scene of a meth lab is still a dangerous place. The chemicals used to make the drug -- household cleaners, camping fuel, stripped batteries -- can leave an invisible toxic hazard behind.