DRUG THREAT MAKES ACTION ON METH BILL IMPERATIVE

South Carolina legislators soon will have an opportunity to curtail
use of the fastest-growing illegal drug in the nation,
methamphetamine, commonly referred to as "meth."

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales recently declared meth "the
No. 1 drug problem facing society." Popularized in the West and
Midwest, meth is quickly making its way across the country to South
Carolina. This sudden migration has resulted in many Southeastern
states passing or considering passage of laws that restrict the sale
of pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient used in meth production.

Local law enforcement officials, including the S.C. Sheriff's
Association, agree that without strong meth laws, South Carolina
remains an open market for this impending epidemic. Besides being an
extremely addictive drug, meth is cheap to buy and easy to make. And
dangerous: An average lab can generate as much as six pounds of toxic
residue and hazardous fumes for every pound of meth illegally
produced. Meth production utilizes highly flammable and explosive
ingredients, endangering first responders and law enforcement
officers making a meth drug bust.

Restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine is the key to stopping meth
proliferation, according to the U.S. Justice Department and the Drug
Enforcement Administration and S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster.

Pseudoephedrine is found in common over-the-counter cold and allergy
remedies such as Sudafed, and while safe when used properly, it is
also the coveted ingredient in the toxic meth brew. Last year the
state of Oklahoma passed legislation requiring all products featuring
pseudoephedrine as their main ingredient be sold from behind a store
counter and customers sign a purchase log. As a result, in just one
year Oklahoma has experienced a 90 percent decrease in meth lab
proliferation. Similar meth lab reductions have occurred in other
states enacting sale restrictions.

Modeled after this effective Oklahoma legislation, the S.C. meth bill
requires that all pseudoephedrine prime-ingredient products, about a
dozen items, be dispensed and sold from behind a store counter.
Purchased quantities are limited to three packages or a total of nine
grams of pseudoephedrine at each purchase. Customers must show a
photo ID and sign a log or registry stating the date of purchase,
their name and address, and the number of grams of pseudoephedrine purchased.

Products in which pseudoephedrine is not an active ingredient will
still be available over the counter, but limited to three packages
per customer. Many of the nation's larger drugstore and retail chains
have voluntarily initiated this policy with success and only minor
inconvenience to customers.

Maintaining the customer purchase log is another key to effectively
curtailing meth production. More than 400 law enforcement and health
officials attended the S.C. methamphetamine summit held in November
at Myrtle Beach. These professionals stressed the need for the
customer purchase log as an invaluable tool for meth investigation
and prosecution. They agreed that while signing a log and showing a
photo ID may be slightly inconvenient for the legitimate customer,
this policy will certainly slow down the local meth dealer from
frequenting our neighborhood pharmacies.

Recent U.S. Justice Department data show that states enacting strong
meth laws experienced a considerable reduction in meth use and
production. With our neighbors Georgia and North Carolina passing
meth legislation, South Carolina must act quickly. We don't want our
state to be an unprepared target as the meth epidemic aggressively heads south.

Rep. Brady represents Richland County in the S.C. House. Mr. Lott is
the Richland County sheriff.