NEW METH LAW SHOULD AID FIGHT AGAINST THE DRUG

West Virginians wanting to stock up on cold or allergy medicine will have a
harder time doing that beginning July 8.

A bill passed by the Legislature earlier this year and signed into law by
Gov. Joe Manchin earlier this week restricts how much over-the-counter
medicine people can buy.

The new law bars the purchase of more than three packages per month of any
over-the-counter medicine containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or
phenylpropanolamine as its single active ingredient. Those materials are
used in the production of methamphetamine, the drug that curses much of West
Virginia.

The new law also makes it a crime to possess such chemicals as iodine at a
concentration greater than 1.5 percent and anhydrous ammonia with the intent
to make the drug.

Methamphetamine, also known as "meth," is a highly addictive drug that
destroys the lives of people addicted to it. It can be made with a few
ingredients and common household equipment. The recipe and instructions are
easily found on the Internet, along with standard disclaimers that such
information is offered for educational purposes only and is not intended to
facilitate criminal activity.

Production of meth can be as dangerous as using it. Making meth can release
materials that are flammable, corrosive and toxic. Many times, illegal meth
labs must be treated as toxic waste sites when they are discovered. Children
living in homes where meth is made suffer side effects.

Will the law restricting the amount of over-the-counter medicine people can
buy help? Maybe. A similar law has been credited with reducing the number of
illegal meth labs in Oklahoma.

For some reason, the immediate Tri-State has been spared the degree of meth
lab activity that some nearby areas have seen. Restricting access to the
prime ingredient of meth can't hurt. Whether it will help all that much
remains to be seen.