Pubdate: Fri, 29 Jul 2005
Source: Sioux City Journal (IA)
Copyright: 2005 Sioux City Journal
Contact:  http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/945
Author: Lynn Zerschling
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

IOWA, NEBRASKA LAUNCH COORDINATED FIGHT AGAINST METH 'COOKERS'

If people cross the Missouri River to buy cold medicine so they can cook up 
some meth, they will be caught, prosecuted and sent up the river.

That was the message sent Thursday by leading federal and local prosecutors 
and law enforcement officers as they unveiled a new "Put the Brakes on Meth 
Travel" initiative.

"We want to send a joint message to those who cross state lines to buy 
pseudoephedrine," Charles Larson Sr., U.S. attorney for Iowa's Northern 
District, announced. "The message is if you plan to travel across state 
lines into Nebraska, you stand the chance of being prosecuted in state 
court in Nebraska, federal court in Nebraska, state court in Iowa and 
federal court in Iowa."

Mike Heavican, Nebraska's U.S. attorney, added, "Meth is a terrible scourge 
to our citizens."

Nebraska's toughened meth law doesn't go into effect until Sept. 3, while 
Iowa's toughest-in-the-nation law went into effect May 21. As a result, 
Heavican reported drug makers are crossing state lines to buy the cold 
medicines, a major ingredient in producing methamphetamine.

In the past 18 months, the Omaha Metro drug task force has arrested 77 
people for the intent to manufacture meth by buying those cold medicines. 
Of that number, 43 were from out of state -- 35 from Iowa.

"When both statutes are in place, there will be attempts in both states to 
circumvent both statutes," he said. "Both states have 'retail watch' 
programs to encourage retailers to cooperate with law enforcement."

Heavican and Larson made the announcement on the banks of the Missouri 
River near the Anderson Dance Pavilion, joined by more than a dozen 
Woodbury and Dakota County prosecutors and police officers. A similar 
announcement was held in Omaha Thursday afternoon.

Marvin Van Haaften, Iowa's drug czar, said the enforcement and prosecution 
effort is warranted since Iowa ranks second in the nation for the number of 
meth labs and fourth in the nation in prosecutions.

"We passed what is now the toughest meth law in the United States," he 
stressed.

Under Iowa law, all pseudoephedrine products must be kept on store shelves 
and dispensed by licensed pharmacists. The buyer must provide 
identification and the pharmacies must keep logs of purchases, Woobury 
County Attorney Tom Mullin noted.

Outlets can sell only one package to a customer containing no more than 360 
milligrams in a 24-hour period. Adults may legally buy up to 7.5 grams of 
the drug per month. Buyers must be 18. Conviction is a Class D felony, 
carrying a five-year prison term, Mullin noted.

Nebraska's new law will ban people from buying more than 1,440 milligrams 
of the drug in a 24-hour period. That is equivalent to two, 24-tablet 
packages. Buyers also must provide IDs and the cold medicines must be kept 
behind counters or in locked cases.

Iowa's law is a model for federal legislation and other states. Wednesday 
morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a version of the Iowa law.

"In a nutshell in Iowa, you cannot reach out and touch a package of 
pseudoephedrine," Van Haaften stated. "Many of our 'cooks' are leaving our 
state and going to other states. We do intend to follow them, arrest them 
and prosecute them."

Dakota County Attorney Ed Matney said, "Coming into Dakota County isn't 
going to work. We work closely with the Tri-State Drug Task Force."

Iowa's law is having an impact on meth cookers, Van Haaften said. During 
May, he said there has been a 65 percent reduction in the number of meth 
labs found and another 77 percent reduction in June. Those drops are much 
more significant than the reduction in meth labs found in Arkansas and 
Oklahoma during May and June.

That reflects the fact that methamphetamine production and use "is 
particularly troublesome" in this part of the country, Larson noted.

Of the Iowa-Nebraska efforts, Heavican said, "This is not a 
first-of-its-kind effort, but it's an extension of what we've tried to do 
before."
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MAP posted-by: Beth