Pubdate: Thu, 21 Apr 2005
Source: McDowell News, The (NC)
Copyright: 2005 Media General Inc. All Rights Reserved
Contact:  http://www.mcdowellnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1765
Author: Richelle Bailey, Assistant Editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

NEW EFFORTS MAY HELP CURTAIL

Local authorities say Target hit the bull's-eye in its move to take
key meth-making medicines off their store shelves.

And they hope other businesses will follow in Target's footsteps.

The national discount retailer announced its plan Monday to pull many
cold, allergy and cough remedies from their regular shelves and sell
them only from pharmacy counters.

"We applaud anybody who makes it more difficult for people to get the
ingredients," said Lt. Jackie Turner Jr., who heads McDowell County
Drug Enforcement. "If we work together, maybe we can kick this thing."

The restrictions apply to all over-the-counter drugs containing
pseudoephedrine, including children's medicines, tablets, liquids and
gel-caps, according to an Associated Press wire story. Pseudoephedrine
is the key ingredient for meth, which can be made in makeshift labs.

The drug has taken hold in McDowell County. The number of lab seizures
has skyrocketed from six in 2003 to 45 in 2004. Just four months into
2005, detectives have dismantled 33.

A number of states are following the example of Oklahoma, where
restrictions on sales of some cold medicines were followed by a
dramatic drop in the number of meth lab seizures.

Local law enforcement officers, businesspeople and other officials are
pushing hard for similar rules in North Carolina, where legislation is
pending.

In a recent letter to N.C. House Rep. Mitch Gillespie and N.C. Senator
Keith Presnell, Rod Birdsong, executive director of the McDowell
County Chamber of Commerce, pleaded for the two to support the bill.

"=85 this problem in McDowell is a runaway train and is stretching the
resources of our law enforcement agencies," he stated. "They've got to
have help in controlling the supply of pseudoephedrine. We're seeing
this taint the image of McDowell, thus our ability to appeal to
potential residents, retirees and businesses."

Birdsong added that a local realtor recently told him he lost a sale
because of a news story on meth labs in McDowell County.

The Chamber, he stated, is launching a petition drive to support
efforts to either limit the quantity of pseudoephedrine products
consumers can buy or make customers show their ID and sign for any
pseudoephedrine products they purchase.

Turner said a lot of McDowell's meth-makers travel out of town to buy
their supplies because local merchants have become wise to their ways
and often won't sell to suspected "cooks" or they will notify
authorities.

So it's likely that some are hitting Targets in surrounding counties.

The wire story said pseudoephedrine products won't be sold at all by
about 300 Target stores that don't have pharmacies. Target operates
1,330 stores in 47 states and is the nation's second largest discount
retailer after Wal-Mart.
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