PENCE TOUTS TEAMWORK TO FIGHT METH

Combatting Drug Requires Law Enforcement, Treatment, Lieutenant Governor Says

In a visit to Bowling Green on Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Steve Pence outlined a
"multi-faceted approach" to fighting what he called the methamphetamine
epidemic. Pence's plan includes enhanced enforcement, more treatment
options and more education in schools about the dangers of the drug.

"Without this comprehensive approach, I think we're going to keep seeing
the same problems," Pence said Wednesday at a meeting of the Bowling Green
Noon Rotary Club.

The most recent legislative change affects the way cold medicines
containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine - key meth ingredients - will be
sold to the public. A similar law that was passed in Oklahoma in 2004 cut
meth-related incidents in half there, Pence said.

When Senate Bill 63 goes into effect June 20, the powder and hard tablet
forms of those medicines will be sold only behind pharmacy counters and
only in limited quantities. The methods of selling the liquid, liquid gel
cap and liquid capsule forms of the cold medicines will not change, as
those forms cannot currently be used as ingredients in meth.

Those purchasing the ephedrine and pseudoephedrine drugs in hard tablet
form must be at least 18 years old, present a photo identification and sign
a log book, recording the date of sale and type and amount of product
purchased. Each person will only be allowed to purchase a maximum of three
packages per transaction and a maximum of 9 grams within 30 days, but may
be allowed to buy more with a doctor's prescription.

"No customer would ever take that. If they were, I'd imagine they would be
taking a prescription or something that would be more effective," said
Steve Sheldon, registered pharmacist and owner of Nation's Medicines, where
Pence held a press conference Wednesday to discuss the new legislation. "I
don't think it will affect that many people," Sheldon said. "It's somewhat
of an inconvenience, but it's worth it. I'd say this is the best bill ever
passed."

Other legislation passed in the General Assembly's most recent session
established harsh penalties for those caught cooking meth in the presence
of children, a felony offense.

Pence said he would like to see more treatment options, including more
inmate beds for in-prison drug treatment and increased utilization of drug
courts, a treatment-oriented alternative to incarceration. Pence said the
ODCP is looking into outlining standards and guidelines for who is allowed
into the drug courts that receive state funding.

"This is not soft on crime. It is smart on crime," he said. "Should we
throw them in jail? Let me tell you, that costs money and when they get out
of jail, they have the same problems. We're going to have to have a range
of treatments available."

The state has allocated $500,000 to be awarded to nine counties within the
next two weeks for the purchase of beds for an in-prison drug treatment
program. The state has yet to announce which counties will receive the
money, but coordinators are looking for "pilot projects," said Teresa
Barton, executive director of the Office of Drug Control Policy.

Warren County led the state in 2004 with 63 meth labs and meth lab waste
dump sites discovered. This year, 15 meth labs have been found so far.

"We probably don't get more than 10 percent," Pence said. "If there are
that many meth labs in your own backyard, how are you going to keep that
from getting to your kids?"

Tommy Loving, director of the Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force,
said Warren's high numbers were due in part to the fast-growing popularity
of the drug, as well as aggressive enforcement and reporting of statistics
to the state. He said SB 63 and other recent legislation will ideally make
task forces more effective.

"We feel Lt. Gov. Pence and the Office of Drug Control Policy are being
very supportive of the drug task forces statewide," Loving said. "We are
hopeful that putting Sudafed behind the counter and requiring ID and
limiting the amount you can purchase will have the same effect here as it
did in Oklahoma. If it does, it will free us up to work on other drug
crimes that we can't get to in as timely a manner as we would like."