Pubdate: Sat, 26 Jul 2008
Source: Daily Star, The (NY)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.thedailystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/557
Author: Jake Palmateer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

SCHUMER: METH WAR HAS YET TO BE WON

Successes in the battle against methamphetamine have opened the door
to imports from Canada, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday.

"We've won battles against meth in upstate New York, but we haven't
won the war," Schumer said. "We want to make sure that declines in
local production are not matched by an increase in local
importation."

Schumer is proposing a three-part plan designed to continue the fight
against meth, which is primarily manufactured in clandestine labs and
mostly in rural and suburban areas.

Shifting Drug Enforcement Agency personnel to the New York-Canadian
border, better tracking of base ingredients of meth and more education
on the dangers can build on the success of previous legislation and
enforcement, Schumer said.

Otsego County is ranked fourth among 55 counties north of New York
City for the number of meth-lab seizures and other meth
production-related incidents since 1999, according to the New York
State Intelligence Center.

However, Otsego County District Attorney John Muehl said, meth
production has been dampened by new legislation, as well as tough law
enforcement.

Just one meth lab has been found in the county this year. That lab was
not in operation, but it had the components to be operational, Muehl
said.

"It's slowly, but steadily, decreasing," he said.

Crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin and prescription pills are
bigger problems, he said.

Recent efforts to curb methamphetamine use, including the Combat
Methamphetamine Act of 2006, have been largely successful, Schumer
said.

Under that act, it is illegal to purchase more than 9 grams of
pseudoephedrine and ephedrine in a 30-day period. The drugs are
commonly found in cold, cough and allergy medicines, and are a primary
ingredient of methamphetamine. A standard package of Sudafed has 1.4
grams of pseudoephedrine in 48 tablets, according to the product's
label.

Clandestine labs manufacture meth by using ephedrine or pseudophedrine
as the base ingredients.

Although meth production in New York state is apparently declining,
its use is still a concern, Schumer said in a conference call with
reporters.

One reason for this is that meth smuggled into the state from Canada,
which does not have strict laws governing meth ingredients, is
supplanting local production, Schumer said.

Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, crank, ice and dozens of
other street names, produces a short rush when the drug is initially
administered and a sense of well-being that can last up to 12 hours,
according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

When the highly addictive drug wears off, users may suffer from
fatigue, anxiety, paranoia and aggression, according to the office.

Det. Sgt. Jeff Jump coordinates the drug enforcement activity of the
Oneonta Police Department and agreed with Muehl that meth is not the
leading drug problem in the county.

Jump said he also believes the Combat Methamphetamine Act and tough
enforcement were why meth labs may be diminishing in the area.

Meth use starts innocently, Schumer said.

But when addiction takes hold, meth users will often go three or four
days without sleep and suffer a disconnect from the world around them,
he said.

"It really hurts people and the people that use it hurt other people,"
Schumer said.

Det. Sgt. Jeff Jump coordinates the drug enforcement activity of the
Oneonta Police Department and agreed with Muehl that meth is not the
leading drug problem in the county.

"I haven't seen finished (meth) product in a year at least," Jump
said. "Heroin and illegal prescription drug use has increased
dramatically."

Jump said he also believes the Combat Methamphetamine Act and tough
enforcement were why meth labs may be diminishing in the area.

"It continues to plague our rural towns and suburbs across upstate,"
Schumer said.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin