Pubdate: Sat, 01 Jul 2006 Source: Las Cruces Sun-News (NM) Copyright: 2006 by Mid-States Newspapers Inc. Contact: http://www.lcsun-news.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/674 Author: Walter Rubel, Santa Fe bureau chief Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) NEW LAWS MAKE IT TOUGHER FOR METH MAKERS SANTA FE -- The state's crackdown on methamphetamine production and sales continues today, as new laws take effect limiting the availability of pseudoephedrine and toughening the penalties for trafficking meth. This is the second time in three years the Legislature has acted to control the spread of meth in New Mexico. Two years ago, it passed a bill making it child abuse to manufacture the drug in the presence of children, and taking the first step to control the ingredients used meth production. Herman Silva, the state's drug-enforcement czar, said the new laws and increased law enforcement attention paid to meth are making a difference. Silva said he thinks meth use in New Mexico likely peaked in 2003, but said other statistics, such as drug-related visits to hospital emergency rooms are still trending upward. Beginning today pseudoephedrine will require a prescription in Oregon as the state becomes the first to go that far to keep the pills from home meth labs. The new law is the strictest among restrictions passed recently by many states. While the legislation in New Mexico is targeted at methamphetamine users and sellers, one of the bills taking effect today could also have an impact on those simply looking for relief from the sneezes and sniffles of a common cold. All cold medications with pseudoephedrine will no longer be available over the counter. To purchase those products, consumers will now need to show an ID and sign a log registering their purchase, and will be limited to nine grams of pseudoephedrine within a 30-day period. Rep. John Heaton, D-Carlsbad, who sponsored the bill, said any inconvenience it may cause to customers is more than outweighed by the positive effects the bill will have in limiting the drug's availability. "Meth is the number one, without question, scourge in the United States today," Heaton said. "And this is one step to prevent it." Heaton noted that surrounding states like Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma have all passed similar legislation. "If we don't pass this, we become an island that is a refuge for people buying pseudoephedrine and making meth out of it," Heaton said. Dale Tinker, executive director of the New Mexico Pharmaceutical Association, said his group supports the new law. "This law kind of matched the federal law that was being discussed at the time," he said. "Our intent was to remove the products that could be used locally, so there wouldn't be so many meth Advertisementlabs in people's houses. And around the country, similar laws have been very effective in accomplishing that." Tinker said most pharmacies in New Mexico have already moved products with pseudoephedrine behind the counter. "What this does in the pharmacies is it creates a little more paperwork, a little more hassle at the pharmacy level, but we have not had any major complaints from consumers, because there are alternative products available," Tinker said. A legislative analysis of the bill notes that the drug manufacturing industry has converted many of the products that contained pseudoephedrine by replacing it with phenylphrine, another decongestant. The bill also requires the state Board of Pharmacy to track prices and ensure that the new controls do not result in a price increase. The Board of Pharmacy has suggested future legislation targeted at possession of large quantities of pseudoephedrine. Under its proposed legislation, quantities exceeding 18 grams would be considered possession with intent to manufacture and be a fourth-degree felony. The second bill, sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, puts the sale of methamphetamine on par with that of other drugs such as cocaine and heroin under the state's Controlled Substances Act. That means a first-time conviction will be a second-degree felony, and any subsequent convictions will be first-degree felonies. Cervantes said the state has done a good job of busting up meth labs here, but now more drugs are coming across the border. "To take the battle to the next level, our focus has to be on distribution and trafficking," Cervantes said. The bill, which was originally proposed by Gov. Bill Richardson, also expands the drug-free school zone law to include private and parochial schools. "We can do a lot better than telling our kids just say no. We can make sure they don't have access to drugs at school," Cervantes said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman