Pubdate: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 Source: Hendersonville Times-News (NC) Copyright: 2005 Hendersonville Newspaper Corporation Contact: http://www.hendersonvillenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/793 Author: Scott Parrott, Times-News Staff Writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) LAWMAKERS LAUD PASSAGE OF BILL TARGETING METH PRODUCTION Local law enforcement and legislators on Wednesday welcomed a new law that targets the production of the narcotic methamphetamine. Gov. Mike Easley signed a law Tuesday that keeps some cold tablets behind the pharmacy counter to control a key ingredient used in the making of methamphetamine, also known as meth. "It is an epidemic in Western Carolina," said Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Laurel Park. "Hopefully this will do something to get it somewhat under control." The comments came as Apodaca addressed the Henderson County Republican Men's Club on Wednesday morning. Apodaca and Rep. Carolyn Justus, R-Dana, updated club members on the recently ended legislative session. The new meth law requires buyers of cold and allergy tablets and caplets containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, some with brand names such as Sudafed, Drixoral and Claritin-D, to be at least 18 years old, show identification and sign a log at a pharmacy. No more than two packs can be purchased at any one time and no more than three in a month. Liquid or gelcap forms of the medicine, or those specifically for children, will remain on retail store shelves because there have been no reports of meth manufacturers in North Carolina using them to create the highly addictive drug. A state panel will monitor those medicines and could restrict them later. Apodaca said some vendors worried that the measure would be frustrating for regular customers. "I think that's a small price to pay to help protect the public," Apodaca said. Justus said she understood that the major manufacturers that make Sudafed and other drugs containing pseudoephedrine plan to soon produce new drugs that no longer contain the ingredient. Dangerous Drug Methamphetamine, also known as crank, ice and crystal meth, is a highly addictive illegal stimulant that can be made from simple household chemicals in spaces as small as a car trunk. The drug has plagued rural areas, including parts of Western North Carolina. But it is not confined to rural areas, as meth labs have been discovered everywhere from college dorm rooms to vehicles pulled over by state troopers. During her first legislative session in 2003, Justus said, police found a meth lab in one of the rooms at the Raleigh motel where she was staying. Once it was safe, the police allowed Justus into the motel room. Inside, she saw matches, Sudafed, a hot plate and white powder with liquid on top. The powder turned out to be meth. "Methamphetamine is just the most dangerous thing that we can have going," Justus said. "We need to keep our people safe. It is very explosive, very flammable. To put it in a motel...it could have blown up, and that's where they're finding it." Meth Cases Explode Meth use has skyrocketed in Henderson County in the past five years. In 1999, detectives with the Henderson County Sheriff's Department investigated six meth cases, seizing $3,855 worth of the drug. Last year, they investigated 122 meth cases and seized $201,722. From January through June of this year, detectives had already worked 67 meth cases and seized $220,425. The problem spurred a group of educators, social workers, counselors, nurses and law enforcement officers to launch a task force in Henderson County to target meth. Jane Ferguson, chief executive officer of Appalachian Counseling, organized the task force. She said that between 80 and 90 percent of the people in Appalachian Counseling's substance abuse program are seeking treatment for meth addictions. The problem stretches statewide. North Carolina law enforcement has uncovered 263 labs so far this year, compared to 322 for all of last year and just nine in 1998. The labs, first found in Western North Carolina before moving east, have led to the poisoning of children and explosions in residential areas that harmed first responders at the scene. Restrictions Welcome The new restrictions taking effect Jan. 15 are modeled after similar laws in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Iowa, where the number of busted labs fell dramatically since they took effect. Virginia and New Jersey also recently approved similar sales restraints. Henderson County Sheriff George Erwin welcomed the new law, calling it a step in the right direction. "We have some counties surrounding us that have had troubles with clandestine laboratories," Erwin said. "Fortunately, we haven't seen the laboratories. But on the other side, we have seen a drastic increase of meth in our county." And that increase in drug abuse leads to other crimes, especially property crimes such as theft and home break-ins. But Erwin said more needs to be done to continue to combat the problem. "In my experience, I found that drug dealers are pretty much, well, where there's a will there's a way," he said. "They'll find some other way. They'll find some other pharmaceutical." The drug war, he said, must be fought on three fronts. The first is education, including teaching children about the dangers of drugs. The second front is through law enforcement. And the third front is providing treatment for addicts who admit they have a problem. "We need to be much more proactive," he said. "One thing is for communities to get involved. In this community we have a lot of people that call in information anonymously and that has been fruitful." "We have to empower our communities," Erwin added. "Who better knows what goes on in their neighborhood than the people who live in their neighborhood." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake