Pubdate: Tue, 28 Dec 2004
Source: Rome News-Tribune (GA)
Copyright: 2004sRome News-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.romenews-tribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1716
Author: Diane Wagner, Rome News-Tribune Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH INGREDIENT MEASURE PASSES

The Floyd County Commission tweaked a proposed methamphetamine
ordinance Tuesday then adopted it, effective Jan. 1, 2005.

"The products will still be available behind the counter," Commission
Chairman Chuck Hufstetler said. "It doesn't affect gel caps, liquid or
time-release pills, so there shouldn't be a problem with the public
getting access to medicine."

The new ordinance calls for stores to keep behind the counter any cold
tablets or caplets containing at least 25 milligrams of ephedrine,
pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine. Buyers must show a picture ID
and sign a log. An earlier version of the measure applied to all
products with even a trace amount of the drugs and would have affected
more than 200 items.

"We've narrowed it down to about 55 products, and we feel comfortable
with this," County Police Chief Bill Shiflett said. "We're going after
the products we see them using."

Home-based methamphetamine laboratories are increasing throughout the
state, and local officials want to make it harder for "cookers" to get
the key ingredient. The highly addictive stimulant is associated with
serious heart and brain damage, along with memory loss, aggression and
psychotic behavior.

Shiflett said meth arrests by the Rome-Floyd Metro Drug Task Force
have soared to 227 this year from two cases in 1993. The street value
of methamphetamine seized in the county 10 years ago was $18,000,
compared with $1,345,000 this year, he said. The task force has broken
up 18 labs costing between $7,000 and $26,000 each to clean up,
Shiflett said.

"Oklahoma passed a statewide ordinance and saved $400,000 in cleanup
costs during the first six months," he said. "I think this (ordinance)
will make a point and maybe the state will follow suit."

There will be a 90-day trial and public education period before police
start enforcing the ordinance.
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