Pubdate: Wed, 06 Jul 2005 Source: Charlotte Observer (NC) Copyright: 2005 The Charlotte Observer Contact: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/78 Author: Sharif Durhams Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) LAW ENFORCERS LOOK FOR KEYS TO CONTROL METH Bills Aimed At Keeping Pseudoephedrine From People Who Make Drug N.C. law enforcement officers aren't the only ones who want to make consumers sign for their Sudafed. But state lawmakers are having a tough time deciding how much restriction is too much. West Virginia last week became the latest state to require purchasers to present a picture ID when they get Sudafed and other cold medicines containing pseudoephedrines. A law that would impose similar restrictions nationwide is expected to get a hearing in a U.S. Senate committee this week. North Carolina's attorney general wants a similar law. Other states claim huge drops in meth busts once they impose tight restrictions. The state Senate has passed N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper's plan that would allow only pharmacists to sell the tablet form of the drug. Pharmacists would keep it behind the counter. But grocers, convenience stores and other retailers that don't have pharmacies are against the pharmacist-only restriction. They're presenting an alternate bill that would require all stores to lock up the drugs and sell only limited quantities. The retailers have found several sympathetic lawmakers on an N.C. House subcommittee that's pushing to make a recommendation to the full committee and the full House in the next two weeks. "I don't want anyone to think we're soft on meth makers," said Rep. Earline Parmon, D-Forsyth. "I'm concerned about access." Several subcommittee members, including Rep. Karen Ray, R-Iredell and Lorene Coates, D-Rowan, have raised questions about the burden Cooper's legislation would place on pharmacists. Cooper's staff repeatedly argue that many drugs with pseudoephedrines (those in liquid or capsule form) would be exempt under the proposed law because N.C. meth cooks don't tend to use them. They admit meth cooks might adapt if the tablet form of the drug is taken off shelves. They might have to come back and ask the state to pull the other forms of the drug behind drug store counter as well, said Greg McLeod, the attorney general's legislative liaison. Right now, the state is trying to use a less restrictive approach, McLeod said. "We're just trying to solve the problem in North Carolina," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom