Pubdate: Sun, 06 Aug 2006
Source: Tuscaloosa News, The (AL)
Copyright: 2006 The Tuscaloosa News
Contact:  http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1665
Author: Jamon Smith
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

PROGRAM AIMED AT BREAKING LINK LEADING TO METH PRODUCTION

TUSCALOOSA -- The West Alabama Narcotics Task Force is stepping up 
its efforts in the burgeoning war against the near-epidemic outbreak 
of methamphetamine with the introduction of new program called Meth Watch.

"Meth Watch is a program we're starting that'll network the Task 
Force and every business that participates in the program with us 
together by a fax machine system," said Capt. Jeff Snyder, commander 
of the task force.

"How it works is, whenever someone buys a product that has an active 
ingredient that can be used to make methamphetamine, that person's 
information as well as the amount of the product they bought will be 
faxed to us and every other business in the network," Snyder said.

Snyder said the Meth Watch program would help the Task Force and 
participating area businesses that carry products that contain 
ingredients used in making methamphetamine to keep track of who is 
buying what products and how much a person is buying.

"We have a lot of stores in Tuscaloosa that sell the chemicals needed 
to make meth," he said. "A lot of other counties don't sell this 
stuff, so we have people coming in from all over to buy these products here."

"So if we got the stores here participating in Meth Watch, we could 
strike a tremendous blow in the fight against meth," he said.

Products such as Sudafed, Drano, any type of sinus tablets that 
contain pseudoephedrine, Acetone, carburetor cleaners, iodine, drain 
cleaners, denatured alcohol and red phosphorous such as from matches 
can all be used to make methamphetamine once the right/schemicals are 
extracted and combined, Snyder said.

"Through Meth Watch, we'll know and businesses will know exactly how 
much of a product a person's already bought from other stores," 
Snyder said. "With this information, stores will be able to deny or 
limit that person's purchase when that person tries to buy the same product."

"The program will also let us know if that person's been shopping for 
meth ingredients by going to different stores around town buying all 
the various products that can be used to make meth," he said.

Snyder said the Task Force would be available to train the employees 
of every store that joins the Meth Watch program on what signs to 
look for when dealing with people trying to buy products to make 
methamphetamine.

Justin Quinn, a shift supervisor at CVS pharmacy on 15th Street, said 
the Meth Watch program sounds like something his store would be interested in.

"I can't speak for the whole company, but the program sounds great," 
Quinn said.

"Right now all we have is a notebook we use to take a person's 
information down when they buy Sudafed products, which does good to 
help us keep track of how much we're selling to that person, but it 
doesn't stop that person from going next door and buying more," he said.

In 2000 there were no arrests involving the manufacturing and 
trafficking of methamphetamine in Tuscaloosa County, Snyder said.

However, in 2002 there were 69 arrests, and in 2005 there were 176.

"So in five years you can see what's it's done," Snyder said. "There 
are laws that help us specifically fight this thing, but it's still 
growing. I wouldn't say it's on the epidemic level yet, but it's bad, 
especially in the rural areas.

"In fact, in the 17 years I've been in narcotics, it's by far the 
worst drug I've ever seen," he said. "It's so addictive. It absorbs a 
person and destroys families. All their life is about is paranoia and 
that addiction. I've seen crack addicts handle their addiction better 
than meth addicts."

On Aug. 2, 2004, the state passed a law limiting the sale of products 
containing 60 milligrams or more of pseudoephedrine to three packages.

Businesses interested in participating in the Meth Watch Program can 
call the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force at 205-349-0410.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman