COEUR d'ALENE - About 20 landlords attended a seminar Monday on how to spot signs of a methamphetamine lab.

Idaho State Police Lt. Fred Swanson gave the hour-and-a-half presentation that detailed laws governing the hazardous cleanup of the homes, and what landlords can keep an eye out for to prevent meth activity in their homes.

In 2006 the Idaho State Legislature empowered the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to regulate and oversee the cleanup of "Clandestine Drug Labs."

If police find a meth lab in someone's home, they turn that information over to IDHW to add to a drug lab list. Once a property is on the list, in cannot be occupied until it has been cleaned up and certified by a qualified industrial hygienist.

"Unfortunately, it's the property owners who have to pay for that," Swanson said. "The legislators essentially put it back on the property owners to screen their tenants better."

Swanson said that in the mid-1990s and early 2000s, the local drug task force raided about 100 meth labs a year. Now, he said, police only encounter about 10 per year.

While the meth laws help, Swanson said local meth production is down mainly because the Mexican cartels are making better quality drugs at a cheaper price than most people can make it for.

He said meth is still a very popular drug in North Idaho and Spokane.

"We started seeing it in the mid-90s," he said. "Now we've got it bad, and Spokane has it really bad too."

Swanson said that meth is highly addictive and once someone is addicted to the drug, they can be delusional, compulsive, paranoid and violent.

If you encounter someone who is high on meth, Swanson said keep a social distance from them; don't shine a light in their eyes; slow your speech and lower your tone of voice; use slow movements; keep your hands visible and try to keep them talking.

Swanson said the best thing to do is call the police.

"They can be highly agitated," he said. "And they can easily become violent."

If a landlord finds that his or her house has been used for a meth lab, he or she needs to be very mindful of the toxic gases that could be in the house. Many of the chemicals used in the production of the drug emit toxic gases that can be fatal if inhaled.

"You should treat all of the chemicals you come in contact with as toxic," he said. "In many cases these chemicals are not labeled."

Other things landlords can look out for are large amounts of match books that meth cooks acquire for the red phosphorus striking pads. Also, large quantities of ephedrine, or psuedoephedrine products. Some cooks also use railroad flares, Red Devil lye, and solvents such as acetone or Coleman camp stove fuel.

"When you start seeing this stuff showing up in a Dumpster or garbage can, you might have something going on," he said, adding the landlord should just call the police and they will check it out.

Iodine stains are another tell-tale sign that meth production may be occurring. Coffee filters with odd staining is another sign. Heet gasoline treatment is also another chemical used in the production.

"If someone has a bottle that's one thing," he said. "But when you have a bunch of them, they may very well be cooking meth."

He showed the landlords a number of pictures showing the debris piles police usually find in the course of raiding meth houses.

Jugs with hoses in them. Piles of ephedrine packages. Canning jars with liquid that has separated into layers. Lithium batteries and even bottles with urine in them.

Swanson said many meth cooks distill the urine from meth addicts to extract the drug that their bodies didn't process the first time they used it.

"It's easy to make and it's on the Internet," he said.

Swanson said that meth addiction is a catalyst for a number serious crimes, including murder, robbery and more.

He encouraged the landlords to keep a sharp eye out for the signs, and if they see something suspicious, call the police and don't get discouraged if they don't act quickly.

"You need to understand that we have to build a probable cause before we can take action," he said.