DRUG BAN FRIDAY

DeKalb District Attorney Mike O'Dell is working with local merchants to
help bring them into compliance with a new law restricting the sale of
certain types of cold medicines.

That law, designed to make it more difficult to acquire ingredients
necessary to manufacture methamphetamine, goes into effect Friday.

"I understand that there are members of the business community that have
expressed concern over the provisions of the new act and how it might
affect them," O'Dell said. "I sympathize with them and my office stands
ready to meet with each of the merchants to try to explain how the law will
operate."

O'Dell said the primary provisions of the law are:

All packages of tablets containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as the sole
active ingredient must be placed behind a counter or in a locked display.

All packages of tablets containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine and other
active ingredients -- or combination products where ephedrine or
pseudoephedeine are not the sole active ingredient must be stored the same
way, or merchants must place the products under video surveillance and keep
the tape for at least 30 days.

Customers must be at least 18 years old and provide photo identification to
buy a production containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as the sole active
ingredient. In lieu of providing photo identification, the purchaser may
provide any two of the following forms of identification: credit card,
insurance card, Medicaid or Medicare card, other government issued
identification card.

The purchaser must also sign a special electronic or paper register.

Products whose sole active ingredient is ephedrine or pseudoephedeine in
strength of 30 mg or more per tablet cannot be sold loose in bottles, and
must be sold only in blister packs.

Only two packages that have a combined total of 6 grams of any product
containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as the sole active ingredient can
be sold at a time.

O'Dell said although the law is not clear as to whether or not a merchant
must ask for identification when selling combination products where tablets
ephedrine or pseudoephedrine is not the sole active ingredient, "the safest
and best practice would likely be to comply with identification
requirements in all circumstances where assistance by a store employee is
required.

"I know this law may seem onerous and burdensome to some, but I want
everyone to understand that we are trying everything we can to fight this
meth epidemic. If a minor inconvenience will help us put a stop to the
illegal manufacturing of the most deadly and devastating drug we -- in law
enforcement -- have ever encountered, then I hope the citizens of this
county will have patience with us and will join our crusade."