Pubdate: Wed, 06 Apr 2005
Source: Tomahawk, The (Mountain City, TN)
Copyright: 2005 The Tomahawk
Contact:  http://www.thetomahawk.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1977
Author: Barbara Dunn
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

WAR ON METH MOVES OVER THE COUNTER DRUGS BEHIND THE COUNTER

Last Wednesday, March 30, could mark a turning point in Tennessee's
fight against meth. On that day, Governor Phil Bredesen, Lieutenant
Governor John Wilder and House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh signed into law
specific legislation designed to combat the manufacture and abuse of
methamphetamine.

The bill, authored after intense study of the meth problem by the
Governor's Task Force on Methamphetamine Abuse last year, passed
through the House and Senate with unanimous support.

"Today represents a major milestone in the war on methamphetamine,"
Bredesen was quoted as saying before signing the Meth-Free Tennessee
Act of 2005. "These new measures will give law enforcement more of the
vital tools they need to fight this deadly drug."

When the law was signed, pharmacies had 30 days to pull certain cold
and sinus products off shelves and move them behind the counter.
Retailers other than pharmacies were given 24 hours to pull the
products and cease sales.

Products affected include cold and sinus pills containing
pseudoephedrine, a decongestant that is the vital ingredient in
methamphetamine manufacturing. The only products exempt from the new
law are liquids or gel-caps, which cannot be used in the meth
manufacturing process. These products can remain on store shelves
everywhere.

"This new law strikes the right balance between public safety and
consumer convenience," the Governor said. "We appreciate pharmacies'
and retailers' support and cooperation in the war against meth."

At least one local pharmacy has had the products containing
pseudoephedrine behind the counter for several months.

"It is an inconvenience," said Tracy Hart, manager at Family
Prescription Center, "but we don't mind if it helps reduce the number
of meth labs."

Hart says the pharmacy has also requested photo ID for a while.

"In addition to limiting the number of purchases, a couple of months
ago we began asking to see a driver's license or photo ID," he said.
"You'd be surprised at the number of people that changed their mind
about buying after we did that."

The new law has not only made it harder to purchase (or steal) the
main ingredient for meth production, other changes were written into
the bill:

- - Closes the so-called "personal-use loophole" in criminal law,
which allows meth cooks to secure lighter penalties by claiming they
manufactured the drug only for personal use.

- - Requires health professionals to report meth lab-related
burns and injuries to local law enforcement, similar to the existing
requirement to report gunshot and knife wounds.

- - Creates an online registry within the Department of Environment and
Conservation listing properties quarantined by law enforcement due to
meth-lab contamination. A separate registry will be created within the
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation listing the names and offenses of
convicted meth cooks.

Tennessee's 2005-2006 budget also includes several monetary allowances
that will be used in the war against meth:

- - $2.4 million for increased criminal penalties for
meth-related crimes, including closure of the personal-use loophole.

- - $1.7 million to launch a drug court pilot project endorsed by
the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy to test the
effectiveness of a combination of treatment and light
incarceration

- - $1.5 million to launch a statewide education and public
awareness campaign.

- - $600,000 to provide meth-lab response training to law
enforcement and other first responders.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin