AREA CITIES TRY TO CURB PRODUCTION OF METH

The Edwardsville City Council will consider an ordinance next week
that would force stores and pharmacies in the city to place
ephedrine-based products behind the counter, a measure officials hope
will curb methamphetamine production.

Sudafed and generic forms of the cold medicine, which contain
pseudoephedrine, are used in the production of methamphetamine. The
ordinance would make it illegal for stores to carry those products
over the counter. Customers would have to ask for them from the
pharmacy or a store employee.

The Granite City City Council enacted a similar ordinance in
March.

Ward 7 Alderman Rich Walker said he has spoken with pharmacists from
Schnucks, Walgreens and CVS in Edwardsville and they are behind the
ordinance.

"They all think it's a great idea," Walker said.

He added he hopes Edwardsville residents are not bothered by the
ordinance and "understand the greater good in helping close down meth
operation in Madison County."

Walker said that Schnucks has already implemented the policy after
noticing its Sudafed supply was low, but the store hadn't sold much of
the product. "It was disappearing off the shelf some other way,"
Walker said.

Curtis Hartin, director of the 93 Schnucks pharmacies, said many
Schnucks pharmacies keep Sudafed and similar generic drugs behind the
counter or limit the number put on shelves because of increasing
thefts. Schnucks policy is to sell only three boxes of Sudafed or
similar products to a customer at one time. He said a Missouri law
that goes into effect in August would limit the sale to two boxes
within the state. Hartin added that those who steal the drug are
making it more difficult for honest customers to buy cold medicine.

"My personal opinion is what you do by keeping products like that
behind the counter is penalize legitimate customers," Hartin said.

CVS Pharmacist Don Sullivan said the store has no specific policy on
the amount of Sudafed that can be sold at one time, but he asks clerks
to try not to sell anyone an excessive amount. He said the
Edwardsville CVS sells Sudafed and similar products over the counter
but he is all for the ordinance.

"I think it is something that needs to be done," Sullivan said. "It's
not too stringent that it would keep the normal customer from buying
it."

A corporate spokeswoman from Walgreens did not return phone calls
asking for the company's policy on ephedrine-based products.

While the Edwardsville and Granite City laws might slow the production
of methamphetamine for a while, Mike Dixon, deputy director of the
Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois, said there
won't be a considerable decrease in meth production until all
municipalities pass similar ordinances, or Sudafed and similar
products change their formula so meth cannot be produced from it.

"If they have to go to someone specific and ask for it, draw attention
to themselves, I think they'll move on to a different town," Dixon
said. "(Methamphetamine) is one of the most powerful drugs out there."

Dixon said there has been an increase in meth lab busts by the drug
enforcement group every year for the past four years.

MEGSI has made 46 lab busts in Madison County this year; the unit made
58 busts in Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties in all of last
year. Dixon said MEGSI made 75 meth-related arrests all of last year,
compared to 70 already this year.

Edwardsville's ordinance, like Granite City's ordinance, would also
make it illegal for retailers to fail to report thefts of
ephedrine-based products or discrepancies between the amount ordered
and the amount received.

Walker said the city council plans to vote on the ordinance at its
next meeting, June 3.