Pubdate: Fri, 25 Feb 2005
Source: Enterprise-Journal, The (MS)
Copyright: 2005 The Enterprise-Journal
Contact:  http://www.enterprise-journal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/917
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

TENNESSEE TACKLES CRYSTAL METH

The governor of Tennessee on Thursday unveiled a harsh proposal to more 
strictly control access to over-the-counter cold medications used to make 
the illicit drug crystal methamphetamine. While that state's Legislature 
still must act on it, rural Mississippians should pay attention to the 
issue, as it is clear we have a meth problem of our own.

First, a look at what has prompted Tennessee to attempt such drastic 
measures. The state ranks among the nation's leaders in the amount of money 
spent to clean up labs where meth, a highly addictive stimulant is cooked, 
usually using fairly common household products. One of those products is 
medicine that contains pseudoephedrine, a decongestant.

It is important to note that crystal meth is often cooked in a home, and 
making it creates toxic vapors. Tennessee officials say that each year, the 
state takes custody of more than 700 children who are in homes where 
parents are caught making the drug.

Tennessee's solution - based on a program that sharply reduced the number 
of meth labs seized in Oklahoma - is to restrict access to over-the-counter 
tablets that contain pseudoephed-rine. Gov. Phil Bredesen proposes to put 
such products behind pharmacy counters, restrict the amount that someone 
can buy and require customer identification before a purchase. 
Pseudoephedrine-based medicine in liquid or gel cap form would remain on 
shelves, as they cannot be used to produce crystal meth.

Retailers without pharmacies would be barred from selling the medicines in 
tablet form. Pharmacies who sell pseudoephedrine tablets would have to 
maintain a record of all such transactions.

The only concerns so far are coming from retail associations, and rightly 
so. They are resisting the idea of restricting the tablet medications to 
pharmacies, and are concerned that forcing pharmacies to keep a record of 
all sales will be too much of a burden. Drug companies also may chime in by 
objecting to placing their products out of immediate reach of buyers, 
although some are already ahead of the game by offering cold medicines 
without pseudoephedrine.

Consumers - who are voters - also may object to having to wait in a 
pharmacy line to buy their Sudafed.

The governor is a Democrat, and fellow Democrats in the Legislature appear 
to be behind him on this. Republicans, apparently, have yet to weigh in, so 
there is no telling how the proposals will fare.

But if rural Tennessee is swamped by crystal meth, it stands to reason that 
it's only a matter of time before small communities in Mississippi and 
Louisiana face the same problems - if they do not already. Mississippi in 
particular is chock full of small towns and rural communities, which seems 
to be the kind of places across the nation that crystal meth use has 
flourished.

When that happens in Mississippi, the state may have to address it with the 
same inconveniences Tennessee is proposing, especially restricting access 
to certain cold medicine tablets.

With foresight, legislative leaders could spend the next few months getting 
information from narcotics agents on the impact of crystal meth in 
Mississippi and consider action before the problem gets worse. It wouldn't 
hurt to talk to a few users, both current and reformed, to get an idea of 
how horribly this drug affects lives.

Crystal meth is certainly available in this part of the state. A number of 
labs have been seized. Without more law enforcement and treatment for 
addicts, we should assume the problem will get worse. Getting ahead of the 
curve, and trying to solve a problem before it becomes too serious and 
expensive, makes a lot of sense.

Mississippi should watch what happens in Tennessee and take appropriate 
action against crystal meth
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MAP posted-by: Beth