Pubdate: Wed, 10 Oct 2007
Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC)
Copyright: 2007 Asheville Citizen-Times
Contact:  http://www.citizen-times.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863
Author: Clarke Morrison
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH LABS DECLINE IN STATE

Cooper: Law On Cold-Remedy Sales Made Difference

ASHEVILLE -- The scourge of methamphetamine was dealt a critical blow 
by a state law restricting sales of cold medicines, but Attorney 
General Roy Cooper says much more remains to be done in the fight 
against the highly addictive drug.

The number of clandestine meth labs found in Western North Carolina 
mushroomed from seven in 2001 to a peak of 183 in 2005, according to 
figures from the State Bureau of Investigation. But that figure 
dropped to 72 in 2006, and through September of this year just 23 of 
the makeshift labs have been busted in the state's 18 westernmost counties.

Cooper and area law enforcement credit a state law that went into 
effect 20 months ago banning bulk sales of ephedrine and 
pseudoephedrine products -- key ingredients for making the debilitating drug.

"By making it harder for criminals to get the key ingredients, we've 
significantly reduced the number of meth labs in North Carolina," the 
attorney general said. "But we still have not won the war." The law 
requires anyone who buys cold tablets containing ephedrine or 
pseudoephedrine to show a photo ID at a store counter and sign a log. 
The law also limits purchases to two packages per customer at a time 
and three packages within a month.

The log must be made available to law enforcement. Buncombe County 
District Attorney Ron Moore, who lobbied in favor of the law, said it 
faced stiff opposition in the General Assembly. "To me it was a 
no-brainer," he said. "You don't need 1,000 pills to fight a cold. 
Meth is a tremendous societal harm. It's just awful, awful stuff." 
Limiting cold medicine sales 'fantastic' And the results have been in 
apparent in Buncombe County, which had four meth labs discovered by 
authorities last year, down from 23 in 2004. Illegal meth production 
has been most prevalent in North Carolina's mountain counties, with 
McDowell and Rutherford leading the state.

McDowell set a state record in 2005 with 61 meth labs, while 
Rutherford wasn't far behind that year with 44. Both counties have 
since experienced dramatic declines. "I think the law's been 
fantastic," Rutherford Sheriff Jack Conner said. "It has made a big 
difference for us." Moore said the wave of illegal meth production 
started in the West and moved steadily eastward.

Oklahoma was the first state to approve restrictions on cold medicine 
sales in 2004. Forty-four states now have such laws. But the National 
Drug Intelligence Center says large-scale meth production is on the 
rise in Mexico, with distribution systems funneling it into the U.S. 
That is one reason Cooper said he is stepping up public education and 
law enforcement efforts to fight traffickers who bring meth and other 
drugs into North Carolina.

The General Assembly this summer approved 12 new SBI agents, some of 
whom will be assigned to combating the drug trade, he said. Only 
about 15 percent of the meth used in the state is made in local, 
makeshift labs, he said. "People are still using meth," Cooper said, 
"even if they don't get it from a homemade lab.

"Fewer people making meth in North Carolina means fewer children 
living in meth labs and fewer communities at risk from the fires and 
explosions these labs can cause.

Now we're focused on cutting the flow of drugs into our state and 
fighting to keep people off of meth."

Fighting the drug with education Cooper partnered with law 
enforcement and drug addiction experts to develop a video and 
resource guide to educate people about the dangers of meth. The 
video, titled "Meth is...," uses interviews with two North Carolina 
meth addicts and treatment professionals to demonstrate the horrors 
of being hooked and the challenges of breaking meth addiction.

The guide, called "Methamphetamine: The Basics," offers information 
about the drug and its effects and tips on how to spot homemade meth 
labs. The video and the guide are available at www.ncdoj.gov. Cooper 
said his office also will share these resources with local drug 
prevention specialists, school resource officers, first responders and others.

In a recent survey by The Meth Project, nearly 25 percent of 
teenagers said meth is easy to get. About a third of those surveyed 
said that trying meth once or twice posed only a slight risk to no 
risk. Cooper said the reality is that trying meth even once can lead 
to addiction, heart attack or even death.

"Clearly, reducing demand for this drug is a priority," Cooper said.

Paul Deckman, meth program coordinator for ARP Phoenix, which offers 
substance abuse services in Asheville, said there's no harder 
addiction to break than meth. Users are so enticed initially because 
the drug can dramatically increase performance at work or other tasks, he said.

"It's a very, very seductive, addictive drug because there is no 
hangover at first," Deckman said. "Some people report no difficulty 
except for an intense craving if they have to go without."

Methamphetamine -- also called crank, speed, ice or poor man's 
cocaine -- is cheap and easy to make and often "cooked" in homes, 
cars and motels.

It's also easy to sell.

Making meth is a dangerous process because the ingredients are toxic 
and explosive, according to the N.C. Department of Justice. Phosphine 
gas, ammonia vapors, hydrogen chloride gas and iodine vapors are 
byproducts that can cause severe burns, irritate skin and eyes, and 
damage lungs and kidneys. The drug creates a longer high than other 
drugs, typically 10 to 12 hours, and users can stay awake for days at 
a time. Addiction leads to psychotic or violent behavior and brain damage.

Withdrawal symptoms include depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia 
and aggression. Meth addicts also suffer from malnutrition, loss of 
bone mass and "meth mouth," a form of severe tooth decay.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman