Pubdate: Wed, 23 Feb 2005
Source: Daily Athenaeum, The (WV Edu)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily Athenaeum
Contact:  http://www.da.wvu.edu/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/763
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

BASEMENT DRUGS A VERY REAL DANGER TO SCHOOLKIDS

Home cookin' used to be fried trout and potatoes, made with love by mom 
Now, addicts and drug pushers do their own home cookin'. The ingredients 
for a "meal" - including Sudafed and many household items - are more a 
science experiment than a recipe. Still, West Virginians ingest these 
products after their transformation into crystal meth in someone's kitchen 
or basement. Crystal meth cooks can buy these ingredients, and the tools 
needed to concoct this addictive drug, easily. It would be impossible for 
legislators to make stores shelve first-aid and camping supplies behind the 
registers. But they can and should take steps to regulate pseudoephedrines, 
found in common cold pills and one of the main ingredients in the crystal 
meth recipe.

Governor Joe Manchin recently proposed such legislation, putting cold 
medications behind the counters and requiring pharmacists to report sales 
of suspicious quantities. The West Virginia Pharmacists Association has 
voiced complaints over this proposition, concerned that the costs of 
restricting sales of pseudoephedrines and reporting suspicious sales would 
be unfair to customers and businesses. Concern over the easy access of 
crystal meth ingredients in Illinois and Louisiana caused them to take 
steps preventing the use of pseudoephedrine for illegal purposes. Twenty 
state legislatures are considering similar laws.

The rest of the country cares about its youth enough to protect them. Why 
should West Virginia be any different?

Junkies will always use drugs, but most parents aren't co ncerned about 
junkies until their kid becomes one. Legislation preventing the manufacture 
of methamphetamines by regulating cold pill sales protects our children, 
who are easily influenced anyway.

If the Legislature passes this law, our kids will be safer and may even 
deter addicts from using crystal meth.

Maybe then more West Virginians will fry the state fish in their pans 
rather than illegal drug marinades.
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MAP posted-by: Beth