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ORDINANCE DESIGNED TO CURB METH PRODUCTION

Purchasing methamphetamine precursors may have a slight inconvenience attached to them for regular citizens of Mt.  Pleasant.  But showing a photo ID and signing a logbook may be a major inconvenience for producers of the drug. 

The Mt.  Pleasant City Council Ordinance Committee discussed an ordinance on Monday that would require that information when people purchase precursors.  Mt.  Pleasant Police Chief Terry Sammons said the ordinance would include cold medicines that contain psuedoephedrine.  Any quantity of the drug purchased would require an ID. 

"Anyone purchasing items would show a picture ID and sign a book with their name, address and phone number," Sammons said. 

Sammons said the ordinance is modeled after one in place in Lee County and one under consideration in Des Moines County.  The push for Henry County and Mt.  Pleasant to adopt such an ordinance could be increased due to the fear that meth producers would leave neighboring counties to buy supplies here. 

City Administrator Brent Schleisman said the meeting was well attended.  There were about eight members of Henry County CURE, an organization designed to fight the meth problem in the county.  Schleisman and Sammons said the committee would meet again in February to discuss the ordinance with local retailers that sell precursors. 

"Everyone has been in support of it," Sammons said.  "It is a minor inconvenience compared to the harm meth does to everyone."

There are similar proposals at the state level, but until something is done statewide, local governments are passing the laws.