Pubdate: Fri, 21 Apr 2006
Source: Maple Ridge Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc
Contact:  http://www.mrtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1372
Author: Pavlina Napastiuk
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

TAKING COLD PILLS OFF SHELVES A GOOD START

The chairwoman of the Maple Ridge Crystal Meth Task  Force says the
decision to remove many cold remedies  from corner store and gas
station shelves may make a  small but important dent in the production
of  methamphetamine.

"This won't have a big effect," Mary Robson explained.  "But it is a
step in the right direction."

Because many meth manufacturers buy the products needed  to
manufacture the drug in bulk from on-line retailers,  many critics
believe pulling the medicines from non-  pharmacy stores won't make
that much of a difference.

Robson has her own suggestion for bulk buyers:

"As pressure is put on controlling the sales of bulk  ephedrine and
pseudo ephedrine, we could expect an  increase in the sales of
medications containing them,"  she wrote in an e-mail to the TIMES.

Those items slated for removal off corner store shelves  include
allergy tablets and children's cough  medications. There are at least
two types of cold  medicines - one with ephedrine as one of several
ingredients and one that contains a higher dose of  ephedrine.
Pharmacies will still stock drugs containing  low amounts of. These
would include Tylenol Cold and  Advil Cold and Sinus.

All high-dose ephedrine medicines, however, like  Contact Cold
12-hour, Benylin D for Infants and Sudafed  Decongestant Extra
Strength, will now only be available  for over the counter purchase.

Meanwhile, the RCMP is more hesitant to comment on the  decision to
pull all ephedrine products from  non-pharmacy shelves.

"I think, yes, it's fair to say it's yet to be  determined how this
will affect [meth production],"  said Cpl. John McDougall of the
Ridge-Meadows RCMP drug  section.

McDougall who has spent years on various RCMP drug  enforcement squads
did say, however, that  methamphetamine usage in Maple Ridge is
equivalent to  Vancouver 10 years ago. He believes this is because
meth use in general is on the upswing throughout the  Lower Mainland.

So far, the RCMP has "busted" two meth labs in the  Maple Ridge area.
The first was several years ago in  the 248 Street and Dewdney Trunk
Road area. The second,  he said, was in 2005 in the neighbourhood of
240 Street  and 105 Avenue.

Presently the RCMP is investigating two more possible  meth labs in
the area, he said. There are, McDougall  said, approximately 100
active and inactive labs  throughout Southern B.C.

"There are also ones called mobile labs, which are at  the back of
five-ton trucks."

McDougall believes one of the difficulties in catching  up with meth
producers is that while raw ephedrine is  illegal in the U.S. it is
not in Canada.

"It's coming in from China and India and all you have  to do is apply
for a customs license. Pay a lawyer in  China $25,000 and pay a lawyer
here and then you can  get an export import license."

Despite how bleak it sounds, McDougall remains  optimistic about the
RCMP's ability to track these drug  labs.

"I can say I have helped some people." 
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MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPF Florida)