URINE DEALER CLAIMS FREE SPEECH

COLUMBIA -- A man arrested Thursday after selling his urine over the
Internet disputes allegations he sold it to help people cheat on drug tests.

"I'm not a drug dealer. I'm a urine dealer," Kenneth Curtis said in a
telephone interview from his business in Greenville County.

Curtis, 42, owner of Privacy Protection Services, was arrested at a
Marietta gas station after he allegedly delivered a urine kit to an
undercover S.C. Law Enforcement Division agent, who bought it online.

Agents also found 20 gallons of urine in milk jugs and pre-sealed packages
at Curtis' home, SLED spokesman Hugh Munn said.

"I think they totally acted outrageously," Curtis said. The kits are not
intended to defraud drug tests but to express free speech rights by
rankling lawmakers and drug testers, he said.

The state Supreme Court heard arguments in October about whether it was
legal for Curtis to sell urine online but has yet to rule on the case. The
General Assembly in 1999 banned the sale of urine for the purpose of
cheating a drug test following Texas, Nebraska and Pennsylvania, which have
passed similar laws.

Curtis, who has sold his urine over the Internet for three years, sued
because he said the new statute targets him and infringes on his
constitutional rights. He said the real issue is privacy and bodily fluids
collected from drug tests can offer information on health risks and pregnancy.

The urine, which is supplied by Curtis, is contained in a small pouch with
tubing. The pouch can be taped to the body, and buyers who operate it
properly can use it without being noticed by someone monitoring a urine
test, according to Curtis' Web site.

The kit, which costs $69 plus shipping, also includes heat packets so the
user can warm the sample to body temperature.

Curtis was charged with two counts of violating a 1999 state law that made
it illegal to sell urine for the purpose of defrauding a drug test. He was
released on two $5,000 personal recognizance bonds.

The latest legal battle has not stopped Curtis from operating his business.
"We may change our tactics a little to comply with the letter of the law,
but we will continue to authorize our products to those who want it," he said.