Pubdate: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 Source: Post and Courier, The (Charleston, SC) Copyright: 2005 Evening Post Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.charleston.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/567 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) BOLSTER DEFENSES AGAINST 'METH' Few, if any, addictive drugs more vividly demonstrate the appalling depths of substance abuse than methamphetamine. The disturbing rise of "meth" in this state has prompted a response by South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, and should prompt needed legislation. Mr. McMaster last month announced Operation "Meth Watch," an initiative that encourages retailers that sell products containing pseudoephedrine to take prudent steps against those who buy them to make meth. The attorney general tells us that part of the insidious menace posed by this drug is the ease with which it can be produced, explaining: "With cocaine, you've got to have distribution and importation networks. But anybody can make this right here for a few dollars." Among the products that contain pseudoephedrine are cold medications, including Sudafed. Other ingredients that assist meth production include paint thinner, Drano and sulfur-headed matches -- a grim reminder of how low the drug's users go for this "high." Under "Meth Watch," following a model established in Kansas, participating drug, hardware, grocery and other stores place meth-associated products in easily monitored areas and limit the volume that can be purchased. Posters and signs give fair warning of the heightened alert against those who buy such materials for meth production. And in the proposed legislation from Rep. Joan Brady, R-Richland, that Mr. McMaster supports, the state would mandate that medicines containing pseudoephedrine be sold only over the counter, and only three packages at a time, with customers required to fill out a purchase log and provide photo identification. Those records would be sent to the State Law Enforcement Division. The bill also outlaws possession of multiple meth ingredients and making the drug in the presence of children. The new bill, if it becomes law, would represent a minor inconvenience to those who want to buy and legally use these medicines. But in light of the harm meth causes, and the spread of its use in this state, mostly among young people, it's a necessary inconvenience. As Mr. McMaster explained, meth use rots teeth, causes skin ulcers, inflicts memory loss and steeply raises the risks of stroke and heart attack. Its production is also dangerous, with poisonous fumes yielded from a highly volatile process that has a high risk of explosion. When police bust a cocaine, heroin or marijuana operation, they don't need help from the Department of Health and Environmental Control's hazardous-material specialists. When police bust a meth operation, they do. Mr. McMaster is bolstering South Carolina's defenses against meth. The General Assembly can advance that mission by passing a strong anti-meth bill. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek