Pubdate: Sat, 26 Nov 2005 Source: Huntsville Item (TX) Copyright: 2005 Huntsville Item and Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. Contact: http://www.itemonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1126 Author: Matt Pederson Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Series: Part I: Series: Part II - http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1851/a06.html Series: Part IV: METH & DESTRUCTION, PART III State legislators are trying to clamp down on the production of methamphetamine by putting harsh restrictions on cold tablets containing pseudoephedrine, one of the key ingredients of meth production. In 2004, Oklahoma became the first state to restrict the sale of pseudoephedrine-containing medicine like Sudafed, NyQuil and Sinutab. Texas soon followed suit, with a 2005 bill that limits the sale of tablet forms of pseudoephedrine products to pharmacies. Pills that have pseudoephedrine as the only active ingredient must be kept behind pharmacy counters or in a locked case within 30 feet from the pharmacy counter. Customers who wish to purchase the medicine must first show photo identification and sign for the purchase. Quantities are limited to no more than two packages or six grams at one time. While the state is working on curbing meth production and use, Walker County District Attorney David Weeks said locally, the drug is alive and well. "You know, I thought that crack was the worst plague that we had ever seen, but I think meth is worse," Weeks said. "From what I've seen, it's more addictive, it's more destructive, it's more violent. It's just about the worst thing you can come across." Weeks said the problem is beginning to get worse. "I think it's continuing to go up," Weeks said of meth use in Walker County. "We're seeing it in all walks of life. Meth is one of those drugs if you use it one time, it's real easy to get addicted to and it's a powerful addiction. "The whole thing is just a nightmare for law enforcement, because people that take it stay up for days and days. They're paranoid, they're violent, they're dangerous and the drugs just eat them up from the inside out. Then, when you get to a place where they're making meth, you're dealing with a hazardous waste area that's extremely volatile and is a risk for anybody that goes in there." When encountering a meth addict in a courtroom, Weeks said punishment can't be the first thing on their agenda. Above all else, they are trying to get that person some help in getting off the drug. However, that task is much easier said than done. "It is so incredibly addictive," Weeks said. "Just based on my experience dealing with it, it's more addictive than crack cocaine. It's an addiction that's harder to break and on top of it all, it literally eats away at people. The stuff it's made out of is incredibly corrosive. "To get people off of methamphetamine, it takes numerous treatments, a lot of work and it's just not easy to break that meth addiction." Weeks said he would love to see a stronger drug enforcement presence in the county, but the elimination of the Central East Texas Narcotics Task Force last month has really thrown a wrench in those gears. The task force was shut down after the grant that funded the program for more than a decade was redirected by the state. "(Meth is) the primary emphasis of our drug interdiction programs," Weeks said. "At the moment, though, we're behind the eight ball, because the task force got closed. That's a killer." Still, Weeks said Walker County isn't giving up the fight. He said he has been meeting with the Walker County Sheriff's Office, Huntsville Police Department, University Police Department and Walker County Constables to work on how they will pick up where the task force left off. "We're going to meet again Dec. 1 with literally every law enforcement agency in the county," Weeks said. "We're going to sit down and talk and that's going to be a big issue, because all of us are concerned of what we are going to do to fight drugs with the loss of the task force. We're going to put every effort into making sure that we continue to do what we can. "It's going to be difficult, though. The loss of the task force was a real body blow." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman