PROACTIVE LEGISLATION COULD HELP STOP METH LABS BEFORE
THEY START

Have you ever seen a friend or family member suffer with an
addiction? I know I have. It's tough to watch an addict when they
can't get their fix. And it's even tougher to get them to admit that
they need help.

The drug problem in Four Seasons Country is bigger than any of us
imagine. Most of us are well aware of the effects of alcohol,
marijuana, cocaine and crack, but methamphetamine is rather new.

The McDowell County Sheriff's Department reports that they
receive tips on meth labs almost daily. The Southern Regional Drug
and Violent Crime Task Force dismantled two meth labs in 2004
and are sure to take down more this year.

But why wait until the meth labs are up and running? Why not stop
the meth production process before it even starts?

I'm referring to legislation passed in Oklahoma which bans over-
the-counter sales of cold medicines, such as SudafedR, containing
pseudoephedrine. Customers can still buy the cold medicine, but
they have to present a photo ID to the pharmacist and sign for it
before making their purchase.

It's working in Oklahoma. The Associated Press reported that,
before the law passed in April, 2004, police were busting an
average of 105 meth labs a month. Ten months later the average
dropped dramatically to 19.

Other states are joining the fight to prevent meth labs from being
produced. Politicians in Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky,
Connecticut, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas, Kansas and
Arkansas have recognized the danger posed by selling
pseudoephedrine, one of the main ingredients used in making
meth, and are pushing for laws to regulate its sales.

It could work here. Whether we want to believe it or not,
methamphetamine will become a bigger problem in this area. To
quote Barney Fife, "we need to nip it in the bud."

Who cares if we will be slightly inconvenienced because we have to
ask the pharmacist for cold medicine instead of just picking it up
off the shelf? A few extra minutes spent standing in line is a lot
better than someone blowing up their house and endangering the
lives of others because they were trying to cook
methamphetamine.

Stopping the problem before it gets started is the smartest solution
to fighting the meth lab problem. Busting up the labs is not
enough. Who knows how much methamphetamine will be
produced from a lab before authorities make the move to shut it
down? Who knows how many families will be hurt before police can
stop the drugs from circulating in the area?

We have already seen the effects on our friends and neighbors that
other drugs have produced. OxyContin was a problem in Four
Seasons Country long before it became a nationwide issue.
Tazewell County officials report that cocaine and heroin are making
their way back into the area. Marijuana has long been a thorn in
the sides of law enforcement. Addicts illegally purchase
prescription drugs everyday to get their fixes.

We have too many problems now without adding
methamphetamine to the list. Legislation to regulate the sale of
products that contain pseudoephedrine seems like the most logical
way to prevent the abuse.

With meth labs out of production, we can then turn our attentions
to getting help for those who are addicted.

Stopping the meth problem is not a one-step process. It will take
years of preventative methods to get this problem under control.

Stopping the drug problem in the two Virginias is not just the
police's problem. It's ours, too.

It's not an inconvenience to ask a pharmacist for cold medicine if it
will help to save someone's life.