METH LAW LOCKS UP COLD PILLS

D'IBERVILLE - The case of two women accused of changing clothes to buy
about 330 cold tablets shows why the state needs stiffer methamphetamine
laws, Sheriff George H. Payne Jr. said.

Early Thursday, a call from security officers at the Wal-Mart Supercenter
in D'Iberville led to the arrests of two South Alabama women accused of
doing that. Wal-Mart is one of several South Mississippi businesses that
voluntarily control access to ephedrine or pseudoephedrine because the drug
is used illegally to manufacture meth.

Later Thursday, Gov. Haley Barbour signed a bill into law that requires
retailers to store cold medicines containing those key ingredients in
locked display cases, behind the counter, within 30 feet of a store cashier
or under video surveillance.

The law, effective July 1, also limits customers to no more than two
packages or six grams in a single transaction, and no more than nine grams
within 30 days. Retailers who don't comply could face a misdemeanor charge.

"There is no silver bullet to solve this epidemic," Barbour said. "But I
believe this bill I'm about to sign is a big step in that direction."

Payne agrees.

"We're having to deal with this on a daily basis," he said, "and we need
all the help we can get. We're talking with officials in other states to
develop strategies to outsmart those who try to circumvent the law."

The Wal-Mart in D'Iberville keeps Sudafed and generic equivalents
containing pseudoephedrine behind the pharmacy counter. Customers are asked
to sign a list before buying it. Sometimes, they're also asked to show
identification.

In Thursday's case, Melissa Zenobia Adams, 35, of Grand Bay, and Teresa
McCollough, 34, of Theodore, allegedly bought a supply of the tablets late
Wednesday. They left, changed clothes and returned a short time later to
buy more, said Payne.

The deputy responding to a security officer's call stopped their vehicle in
the parking lot and allegedly found the cold tablets, other items used to
make meth and some of the finished product.

The women were arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance
and possession of precursors. They were held at the Harrison County Adult
Detention Facility. Justice Court Judge Dianne Ladner set bond for each at
$50,000.