Pubdate: Mon, 30 May 2005
Source: Joplin Globe, The (MO)
Copyright: 2005 The Joplin Globe
Contact:  http://www.joplinglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/859
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

In Our View

CRACKING DOWN ON METH

Missouri and Kansas legislators have joined with Oklahoma to restrict 
access to large quantities of the pill forms of cold and allergy remedies 
containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient of methamphetamine. 
Pharmacies, retailers and convenience stores are removing such medicines 
from their shelves and putting them behind counters. Buyers would be 
required to provide photo identification and to sign logs for the purchases.

More than a dozen states and some of the nation's largest retailers, 
including Walgreens, Wal-Mart and Target, are hoping that limits on the 
availability of such over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines as Sudafed 
and Claritin will slow the virtual explosion of meth laboratories.

Let's face it, no one has a real handle on just how many clandestine meth 
labs are operating. There are too many mom-and-pop operations, set up in a 
garage or basement one day and moved to a different site a week later to 
keep law-enforcement officials from, literally, sniffing them out.

Consider that last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration reported 
16,000 labs were seized. Missouri and Jasper County have had the dubious 
distinctions of being the No. 1 meth havens in the nation. Missouri's 
anti-meth plan, crafted at the request of Gov. Matt Blunt, awaits the 
governor's expected signature as of this writing.

A similar plan of attack produced spectacular results in neighboring 
Oklahoma. Legislators saw an 80 percent drop in meth-lab seizures after the 
more restrictive law went into effect. Last November and December, for 
instance, only 19 and 20 meth labs, respectively, were closed by authorities.

Missouri and Kansas lawmakers are expecting comparable results as the 
supply of pseudoephedrine is choked off to meth makers once laws go into 
effect. Meth makers may head for friendlier climes in other states that do 
not have such restrictions on purchases of cold and allergy medicines. But 
getting the manufacturers out of labs in garages and basements in this 
state won't mean that meth is licked. That will come only when users 
realize vendors of this illegal stimulant are profiting on their addiction, 
accompanying physical problems and bad choices.
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MAP posted-by: Beth