TOUGHER METH LAW PROPOSED

Lowell Barron hopes Alabama will soon join other states in making it
difficult for drug users and dealers to get ingredients needed in the
manufacture of methamphetamine.

"The history of meth is rather short," said Barron, D-Fyffee, and Alabama
Senate Pro-Tem. "It's a new epidemic that we're facing and the laws are
primarily non-existent in dealing with this problem."

Barron has sponsored Senate Bill 108 that would help control the
availability of the drug pseudoephedrine, which is the active ingredient in
making meth.

State legislatures in Oklahoma and Tennessee have passed laws to help
control the availability of pseudoephedrine. Oklahoma enacted the new law
in 2004, while Tennessee lawmakers passed the bill two weeks ago.

"I was happy to hear that Tennessee has passed their law. I hope we can be
joining them very soon," Barron said.

He said the Legislature has been looking at the issue for the past two
years. The proposed bill would require an individual who is buying a
product containing pseudoephedrine to sign a register and to present a
photo identification at the time of the purchase.

Barron said this will strengthen Alabama's existing law.

Currently, products containing pseudoephedrine are required to be stored in
a place that is accessible only to a store employee. Single
over-the-counter sales of the products are restricted to no more than three
packages.

Barron said he looked closely at the Oklahoma bill when developing one for
Alabama.

"I tried to modify a bill that I thought would be the best for our state,"
said Barron, who is a pharmacist.

Rector Johnson, director of the Marion County Drug Task Force and a former
state trooper, said the bill is a positive move in the battle against meth.

"Anything that can be done needs to be done," Johnson said. "Meth is
something that is hard to image the impact it has on people, just how
quickly it can grab you."

He said statistics indicate that more than 85 percent of the people who try
meth usually become hooked on it.

"This is the most addictive drug I've ever seen," Barron said. "It's so bad
that once (people) get hooked, they'll do just about anything to get it,
even if it means losing everything."

Johnson said the life-expectancy of a meth user is about "7-10 years" and
that's "if they're in good health when they start."

"This is not just an Alabama problem, but it's everyone's problem because
it is all over," Barron said.

"What the Legislature is doing is a step in the right direction," Johnson
said. "We're glad to see our lawmakers taking a proactive stand to help us."

S.B. 108 has passed a committee hearing and has been placed on the Senate
calendar for a vote.

"I think we'll get it passed before this session is over and give law
enforcement another tool to help fight this growing problem," Barron said.