Pubdate: Sun, 10 Apr 2005
Source: Bristol Herald Courier (VA)
Copyright: 2005 Bristol Herald Courier
Contact:  http://www.bristolnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1211
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

NETTING THE BIG FISH IN WAR ON METH

The feds called him the godfather of meth in Washington County.

Now, Steven Tomershea might just spend the rest of his life in a
federal prison - very good news indeed. At a minimum, Tomershea won't
be teaching anyone else to make the deadly brew; at best, a stiff
sentence should serve as a strong deterrent for other
methamphetamine-makers and dealers who plan to set up shop in the region.

It's a simple message: Make meth here and you are going to prison for
a long, long time. There will be no probation, no slap on the wrist.

The very public, in-your-face enforcement of meth laws - including
Tomershea's prosecution - is part of a one-two punch aimed at those
who manufacture the illegal stimulant in these parts. The other punch
comes from new state laws which make it harder to buy large quantities
of the cold tablets that are one of meth's main ingredients. It's a
potent combination that has already proved effective in other states -
cutting meth lab seizures in Oklahoma, for example, by 80 percent.

The Sooner State's success came after a state law made it impossible
to buy pseudoephedrine-containing cold pills, like Sudafed and
Sinutab, on grocery, discount and convenience store shelves. The law
moved the pills behind pharmacy counters and forced customers to sign
for them and show identification. That's a substantial deterrent for
those seeking to purchase the pills for nefarious ends, and it
provides a means for the state to track those who make multiple
purchases from different stores.

Tennessee just adopted a similar measure, and local stores moved
quickly this week to pull the pills from shelves and put them behind
the counter. Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky need similar laws
to keep meth-makers from merely crossing the border to stock up.
Virginia considered such a move this session, but got cold feet and
supported instead restrictions on the quantities of cold pills that
can be purchased at one time. That's a first step, but a stronger law
is needed.

Nowhere is that more evident than this region, which led the state in
meth lab seizures last year and is set to repeat that feat this year.
The region cannot afford to be known as the meth capital of Virginia.

The fight won't be won through new laws alone. It will take a
dedicated, concentrated law enforcement effort. To their credit,
local, state and federal law officers saw the tidal wave of meth
coming with all its inherent dangers, addiction, early death, fires,
explosions and environmental contamination. They focused on the
problem early, and they are fighting hard. Tomershea's prosecution is
an example of a win; federal agents caught the big fish - a fellow who
helped teach almost all of the county's meth cookers to make the drug.

Now, it's time to make an example of Tomershea and send a strong
message that making methamphetamine, a deadly poison, is no way to
make a living.
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