LOCAL RETAILERS HELP FIGHT METH

Most Peoria, Tazewell Merchants Meet State Requirements By
Restricting Sales Of Cold Medicine

CHICAGO - More than one-third of Illinois stores recently visited by
state authorities failed to properly restrict the sale of cold
tablets that criminals use to produce methamphetamine, Attorney
General Lisa Madigan said Thursday.

Representatives from Madigan's office began spot-checking retailers
in April to see if they are complying with a new state law requiring
them to keep a close eye on medicines with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.

Products with those chemicals as the sole active ingredient, such as
Sudafed, must be displayed behind a locked case or cashier's counter,
and retailers cannot sell more than two packages of cold medicine to
a single customer.

By Monday, authorities had visited 317 stores that sell the products,
and 203, or 64 percent, complied with the new restrictions, Madigan's
office said.

Noncompliant retailers got warnings and informational packets but
weren't ticketed or charged with breaking the law that took effect Jan. 1.

Most stores were selected at random, said a policy director.
Undercover operatives reviewed cold medicine displays at each outlet
and tried to buy more than two packs of pills containing ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine. Retailers are expected to train their staff members
about the new law and be on the lookout for suspicious purchases.

Downstate merchants tended to be more knowledgeable about the law,
compared with Chicago retailers, statistics indicated. Madigan said
that's probably because meth production has been prevalent in rural
areas, where it's easier to operate noxious-smelling, makeshift labs
without attracting notice.

Ephedrine or pseudoephedrine are crucial ingredients in making meth,
a highly addictive stimulant that can cause physical and mental problems.

Herrin in Williamson County topped the survey with a 100 percent
compliance rate. The lowest compliance rate outside Chicago - 35
percent - was in Bloomington in McLean County, where only seven of 20
stores met the new requirements.

In Peoria and Tazewell Counties, which were tested together, 33 of 37
stores inspected passed muster, for a rate of 89 percent.

Meth control has been a pet issue for Madigan, a Chicago Democrat in
her first term. She said she would favor even stronger safeguards in
Illinois, such as restrictions imposed in Oklahoma. That state
requires all ephedrine and pseudoephedrine products to be placed
behind pharmacy counters. It also obligates customers to present an
ID before purchase so that retailers can keep a log of sales.

Rob Karr, vice president of government and member relations for the
Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said store operators in the
state are busy enough trying to comply with the changes that went
into effect early this year. He said the inspections by Madigan's
office show encouraging results.

"Frankly, I think a 64 percent compliance rate is pretty good for the
first year of a law," Karr said.

The Attorney General's Office plans to visit two more counties next
month to wrap up the initial round of compliance checks, Smith said.