CHANGING THE DRUG FORMULA

OXFORD - Mississippi law enforcement officers say Sudafed PE, which hit
stores Jan. 10, is a step but not the end of the battle against crystal meth.

In December, the makers of Sudafed - an over-the-counter antihistamine -
announced they were removing the ingredient pseudophedrine, an ingredient
used in the manufacture of crystal meth.

Capt. Terry Spillers, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, said if other drug
manufacturers will follow suit, it would definitely make it harder for
crystal meth cooks.

However, he does not believe it will end the crystal meth problem.

"They figure out how to get what they need. That has been our problem. We
change the law to make it tougher and they adapt and find a way to get
around it," he said.

Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said the Sudafed decision came out of
pressure exerted by law enforcement across the country on the Federal Drug
Administration to regulate or help replace pseudophedrine in over the
counter drugs.

In another effort to make meth ingredients harder to get, a Virginia-based
fertilizer maker announced it was adding a dye to its anhydrous ammonia
fertilizer.

Officials from Royster-Clark Inc. said the dye named GloTell will
discourage thieves looking to steal the fertilizer from tanks. It's an
additive that turns anhydrous ammonia a bright, glowing pink. The pink
color lasts through the meth making process, not only turning the end
product pink, but also staining the noses of those who snort it, and the
injection sites of those who shoot it. Additionally, the meth made with
pink anhydrous is said to be inferior to the meth made with untreated
anhydrous.

Crystal meth is the only drug that is illegal in all forms, and charges can
be filed for possession of just a few of the ingredients or precursors
needed to manufacture it.

Agents agree they are being aided by the laws banning possession of
precursors coupled with strict monitoring of the sale of the ingredients
needed to make the drug.

"That's what we are trying to do - make it harder for them to get the
materials they need. It will not stop it, but I think it reduce it,"
Spillers said.