STATE CREDITS TOUGHER LAW FOR DECREASE IN METH LABS

The number of clandestine methamphetamine labs busted up by Iowa law
enforcement agencies last month plummeted 90 percent compared with July
2004, state officials said Monday.

They credited the state's new, tougher anti-meth law that took effect in
late May. Gov. Tom Vilsack said the number of labs found since the law went
into effect has dropped, on average, 75 percent compared with the
comparable months last year.

The news was even better in July, he said, during which officials found
nine labs compared with 92 last year.

The tougher law limits access to pseudoephedrine, a main ingredient in meth
found in many cold medicines.

Despite the announcement, Vilsack and other officials worry Congress will
pass legislation that pre-empts state law and weaken some of the measures.

Opponents "want to weaken the law. They want to provide less protection.
They want to provide more exemptions," Vilsack said. "I am fine with a
federal law so long as it's as strong or stronger than the state law, but
at this point in time I am not assured of that.

"So let my law alone. Let me continue to have the kinds of results we're
having."

Iowa's law restricts sales of all but the lowest-dose liquid
pseudoephedrine products to pharmacies. A plan pending in Congress would
give states authority to grant licenses to stores without pharmacies -
provided they are also approved by the U.S. attorney general.

Vilsack urged Congress to move forward with a tougher national law that
doesn't weaken Iowa's standards.

"The reality is this law is working," Vilsack said. "Even though retailers
might be concerned about this, you can't refute those numbers."

Ken Carter, director of the state's Division of Narcotics Enforcement, said
the search for hidden labs remains as intense as it was a year ago but
reports of problems have decreased.

"We're still putting the full-court press on," he said. But, he said,
"we're not getting the calls from the citizens of Iowa complaining or
telling us that they are seeing things."

He said if the number of clandestine meth labs continues to remain small,
law enforcement officials plan to refocus their efforts on drugs coming
from out of state.