Greenville County Sheriff's Office officials say action by the Legislature may help in the fight against methamphetamine.

A bill passed last summer has made manufacturing or possessing the materials to manufacture the drug a violent felony.

The penalty for the offense stays the same, but where a violator would have served roughly a fifth of his sentence before, the new law requires 85 percent of the time be served, said Lt. Robert Gillespie, commander of the vice narcotics unit.

Gillespie says he's hopeful the new law's more severe punishment will help deter people from using and manufacturing meth.

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"It's the most potent drug that we deal with," Gillespie said. "It doesn't take long for it to grab completely hold of you."

When Gillespie began working narcotics six years ago, he says he hardly knew what meth was.

"We gradually started seeing it," Gillespie said, "and now, it's mushroomed on us."

Busting meth labs is dangerous because of the volatility of the chemicals and hazardous residues make it expensive to clean up.

Since January, the sheriff's office has investigated 143 suspected labs and cleaned up 41, spokesman Lt. Shea Smith said.

The narcotics unit spends most of its time investigating meth-related crimes, Gillespie said, and it's a drug that knows no boundaries, affecting people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

In addition to stricter laws, authorities agree that public awareness is important.

Smith says a number of concerned citizens have called the sheriff's office to report unusual odors and increased traffic that could be signs of a meth lab.

But, with growing public awareness, meth producers are increasingly moving labs to rural areas in the northern and southern parts of the county, Smith said.