Pubdate: Mon, 16 Jan 2006
Source: McDowell News, The (NC)
Copyright: 2006 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)

LAW PUTTING COLD MEDICINE BEHIND COUNTER TAKES EFFECT

The battle against meth in McDowell and across the state now has an ally.

A new law that limits access to the drug's key ingredient went into 
effect Sunday. It requires that all single- and multi-source tablets, 
caplets or pills containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine be sold 
behind pharmacy counters. Purchasers must be at least 18 years old, 
show a photo ID and sign a log to buy the medications.

The law also limits purchases of pseudoephedrine products to no more 
than two packages at once and no more than three packages within 30 
days without a prescription.

Pharmacy supervisors in Marion say they think the state's move will 
be beneficial in the long run.

"It's been a slight inconvenience, but it will be worth it if it 
helps the meth situation," stated Fred Rabon, a pharmacist at Marion 
Pharmacy, who added that they finished the task back in December. 
"We've moved some items and have just deleted others because we 
didn't have room from them in the back."

"It's been a good two or three days' worth of work, but I'm glad to 
see them do it," CVS Manager Harvey Evans said Friday, adding that 
the project was complete at his store. He stated that some of his 
employees had to undergo training to understand the consequences of 
illegally selling pseudoephedrine products. Evans said the first 
offense is a misdemeanor, and the second offense is a felony.

McDowell County placed atop the state in meth lab busts in 2004 and 
2005. The number of dismantled labs skyrocketed here from six in 2003 
to 43 in 2004. Local authorities found 61 last year.

In 1999, the first year that meth labs were reported in North 
Carolina, State Bureau of Investigation agents discovered nine labs. 
That number jumped to 322 in 2004 and 328 in 2005.

Officers and lawmakers believe the new legislation will significantly 
curb those figures.

"It's not going to shut down the meth problem, but it's going to slow 
it down drastically," said Lt. Jackie Turner Jr. of McDowell County 
Drug Enforcement. "Pseudoephedrine is the only ingredient (meth 
cooks) can't replace."

"These secret drug labs that make meth threaten our families and our 
communities," stated Attorney General Roy Cooper, who championed the 
new law. "The best way to keep criminals from making this dangerous 
drug is to cut off their access to its main ingredient, and that's 
exactly what we're doing with this new law."

North Carolina's new legislation is similar to a law passed in 
Oklahoma in 2004 that has resulted in a more than 80 percent drop in 
meth labs in that state.

As under the Oklahoma law, most liquid and gel cap forms of cold 
remedies will remain available for sale on store shelves because 
there have been no meth labs reported in North Carolina where gels 
and liquids were used. However, North Carolina law goes a step 
further by granting the Commission for Mental Health, Developmental 
Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services the authority to place 
restrictions on all liquids and gels. Cooper said he will work with 
the commission and law enforcement to determine what restrictions are 
appropriate.
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