Pubdate: Fri, 04 Jan 2002
Source: Southern Standard, The (TN)
Copyright: 2002 Southern Standard & The Smithville Review
Contact:  http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=941
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1513
Author: Will Stewart

LOCAL STORES FIGHT METH PROBLEM, PULL COLD MEDICINE

Doing their part to fight the war on drugs, several local businesses have 
recently restricted the sale of the over-the-counter cold medication 
Sudafed, a key ingredient of methamphetamine. Bi-Lo store manager Steve 
Baker said his store has restricted the sale of Sudafed several times, but 
decided to restrict it on a permanent basis within the past month.

"Sudafed is a key, high-dollar item in the production of meth," Baker said. 
"Over the past month and a half we've seen more of this get stolen than we 
have sold, so we decided to make it harder for abusers to get a hold of."

Now, anyone wanting Sudafed at Bi-Lo is directed by a sign to ask for it 
specifically at the store's pharmacy. "This is not much of an inconvenience 
to our everyday shoppers," Baker said, "but it will stop abusers from 
getting Sudafed in high quantities."

He added if a person requesting Sudafed is suspected of buying the product 
to make meth, the store's management personnel can decide to sell the 
person only one 24-count box, the amount the average consumer would purchase.

Baker said he and other members of the store's management team do not 
hesitate to inform local law enforcement officials of customers they 
suspect of buying Sudafed or other meth-making products, such as matches 
and lye.

The local Kroger store has also taken its Sudafed supplies off the shelf. 
This was done over two months ago, a company representative said, due to it 
being a product with a high theft rate.

Nestor Stewart of Stewart Pharmacy said his store hasn't sold Sudafed off 
the shelf in over a year. "We know what's going on," he said. "We began to 
notice when people would buy every box of Sudafed on the shelf, so we 
pulled them off and put it back in the pharmacy."

His staff, he said, knows the store's clientele and knows the symptoms of a 
person in legitimate need of Sudafed. "We have ways of finding out about 
things and we'll really be watching," he said. "Meth is a real serious 
problem; a critical issue in our society."

Warren County Sheriff Jackie Matheny said he thought stores voluntarily 
limiting the amount of cold medicine customers can buy was a great idea. He 
said there was no good reason he could think of for someone to buy large 
quantities of the over-the-counter medications, other than for illegal 
purposes of making drugs like meth.

"Methamphetamine activity has gotten out of hand, and by limiting the 
amount people can purchase locally is one good way businesses can help," 
said Matheny, noting that legislation is currently in the works which could 
make some of the voluntary measures mandatory.

"Businesses want no part of it," Matheny said, adding he knew of one store 
which sold the cold medications by the case and later received unwanted 
consequences.

"They confiscated the store and auctioned it off," Matheny said.

The sheriff said although he wished the drug problem of Warren County on 
nobody, he was pleased and proud the enforcement effort of his department 
has resulted in more activity in surrounding counties where places like 
Rutherford County have produced several lab finds as of late.

"They're moving out because of the pressure and we're going to continue to 
apply that pressure in the future," Matheny said.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager