Pubdate: Fri, 21 Jan 2005
Source: Bluefield Daily Telegraph (WV)
Copyright: 2005 Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Contact:  http://www.bdtonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1483
Author: Jody Neal

PROACTIVE LEGISLATION COULD HELP STOP METH LABS BEFORE 
THEY START 

Have you ever seen a friend or family member suffer with an 
addiction? I know I have. It's tough to watch an addict when they 
can't get their fix. And it's even tougher to get them to admit that 
they need help.

The drug problem in Four Seasons Country is bigger than any of us 
imagine. Most of us are well aware of the effects of alcohol, 
marijuana, cocaine and crack, but methamphetamine is rather new.

The McDowell County Sheriff's Department reports that they 
receive tips on meth labs almost daily. The Southern Regional Drug 
and Violent Crime Task Force dismantled two meth labs in 2004 
and are sure to take down more this year.

But why wait until the meth labs are up and running? Why not stop 
the meth production process before it even starts?

I'm referring to legislation passed in Oklahoma which bans over-
the-counter sales of cold medicines, such as SudafedR, containing 
pseudoephedrine. Customers can still buy the cold medicine, but 
they have to present a photo ID to the pharmacist and sign for it 
before making their purchase.

It's working in Oklahoma. The Associated Press reported that, 
before the law passed in April, 2004, police were busting an 
average of 105 meth labs a month. Ten months later the average 
dropped dramatically to 19.

Other states are joining the fight to prevent meth labs from being 
produced. Politicians in Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, 
Connecticut, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas, Kansas and 
Arkansas have recognized the danger posed by selling 
pseudoephedrine, one of the main ingredients used in making 
meth, and are pushing for laws to regulate its sales.

It could work here. Whether we want to believe it or not, 
methamphetamine will become a bigger problem in this area. To 
quote Barney Fife, "we need to nip it in the bud."

Who cares if we will be slightly inconvenienced because we have to 
ask the pharmacist for cold medicine instead of just picking it up 
off the shelf? A few extra minutes spent standing in line is a lot 
better than someone blowing up their house and endangering the 
lives of others because they were trying to cook 
methamphetamine.

Stopping the problem before it gets started is the smartest solution 
to fighting the meth lab problem. Busting up the labs is not 
enough. Who knows how much methamphetamine will be 
produced from a lab before authorities make the move to shut it 
down? Who knows how many families will be hurt before police can 
stop the drugs from circulating in the area?

We have already seen the effects on our friends and neighbors that 
other drugs have produced. OxyContin was a problem in Four 
Seasons Country long before it became a nationwide issue. 
Tazewell County officials report that cocaine and heroin are making 
their way back into the area. Marijuana has long been a thorn in 
the sides of law enforcement. Addicts illegally purchase 
prescription drugs everyday to get their fixes.

We have too many problems now without adding 
methamphetamine to the list. Legislation to regulate the sale of 
products that contain pseudoephedrine seems like the most logical 
way to prevent the abuse.

With meth labs out of production, we can then turn our attentions 
to getting help for those who are addicted.

Stopping the meth problem is not a one-step process. It will take 
years of preventative methods to get this problem under control.

Stopping the drug problem in the two Virginias is not just the 
police's problem. It's ours, too.

It's not an inconvenience to ask a pharmacist for cold medicine if it 
will help to save someone's life. 
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MAP posted-by: Josh