Pubdate: Fri, 03 Aug 2007 Source: Reno Gazette-Journal (NV) Copyright: 2007 Reno Gazette-Journal Contact: http://www.rgj.com/helpdesk/news/letter_to_editor.php Website: http://www.rgj.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/363 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) NEW LAW ON MANUFACTURE OF METH GOES INTO EFFECT Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced Tuesday a new law aimed at hindering the manufacture of methamphetamine in Nevada was to go into effect on August 1, and Lt. Bob Sherlock, with the Lyon County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division, said the new law should definitely make it tougher to acquire necessary chemicals and therefore halt a lot of "mom and pop" meth labs. "Anything is helpful," Sherlock said, adding that while lab finds have been on the decline in the last year, he could not be certain yet whether it could be attributed to new laws or to the fact a lot of cheap, finished product is arriving from Mexico. As for meth use, Sherlock said that in he face of this new law, that continues to be a problem in Nevada and is showing no signs of disappearing anytime, It was during its 2007 Session, that the Nevada State Legislature passed AB 148 which restricts the sale of pharmaceuticals containing precursor materials used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and other controlled substances. "The changes the Legislature made to the law make it tougher for criminals to gain access to the amount of pseudoephedrines they would need to manufacture methamphetamine," Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto said. Nevada's new law changes how many over-the-counter drugs, including psuedoephedrine, are sold. It also adds criminal penalties for certain activities related to the manufacture of methamphetamine. In Yerington, pharmacies such as Rex Drug Company and Scolari's Food and Drug Store have already implemented the new law and were well prepared for Wednesday's change. "We don't have anything to worry about that way," Rex Drug Pharmacist Jim Christensen said noting they have put the related cough and cold medications behind the counter and some have already undergone formula changes. Jack Yeager, pharmacist for Scolari's also noted the changes saying they are already requiring identification and addresses for related products. The new statute: - -Prohibits a person from: (1) selling or transferring in the course of business a product that is a precursor to methamphetamine; or (2) engaging in the business of selling at retail a product that is a precursor to methamphetamine, unless the person is a pharmacy "cRequires sellers of a product containing certain materials used to manufacture methamphetamine to keep the product in a locked case or cabinet or behind a store counter so the public does not have direct access to the product. A pharmacy which violates these provisions is subject to a penalty of up to $250,000 for each violation "cEstablishes limits on the quantity of certain chemicals, which can be sold to the same person during a calendar day and purchased by the same person during a calendar day and any 30-day period "cRequires sellers of a product that contains materials used to manufacture methamphetamine to maintain a logbook of sales and transfers of the product and to ensure certain information is entered into the logbook. Any person who knowingly enters a false statement in a logbook is guilty of a category D felony "cRequires a pharmacy aware of any unusual or excessive loss or disappearance of a product containing a precursor to methamphetamine to report the loss or disappearance to the Nevada Department of Public Safety "cProhibits the possession or disposition of chemical waste or debris resulting from the manufacture of methamphetamine. Violators are subject to a category C felony "cExisting law prohibits a person from possessing certain chemicals with the intent to manufacture or compound a controlled substance other than marijuana. This bill also prohibits the sell, exchange or dispensing of a chemical with the intent that the chemical be used to manufacture or compound a controlled substance other than marijuana. Additionally, it adds lithium metal and sodium metal to the list of controlled chemicals "cProvides that a building or place used to unlawfully manufacture a controlled substance is both a private and public nuisance if certain activities relating to the decontamination of the building or place have not occurred within a certain period "This new law gives local law enforcement more authority to go after those who are manufacturing methamphetamine in Nevada," Masto said. "It also brings our state up to standard with laws passed recently by the federal government. We've already seen a drop in the number of meth lab busts in Nevada since the federal laws went into effect. With the new state laws in place, we should be able to severely limit access to psuedoephedrines used by local illegal meth labs." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom