OKLAHOMA'S METH LAW WORKING

Howard J. Wooldidge (Your Views, Sept. 2), who represents a Dallas-based
drug legalization group, predicts that Oklahoma's groundbreaking efforts at
curtailing methamphetamine labs will end in failure. He's wrong. Since this
law took effect in April, 186 labs have been reported to the Oklahoma State
Bureau of Investigation -- 102 fewer than the during same time period last
year. Each of those 102 labs that didn't happen would have cost taxpayers
about $2,500 to clean up, plus untold dollars and danger to investigate,
prosecute, etc.

This new law, which put some controls on certain pseudoephedrine products,
was never aimed at stopping the meth problem, but rather the meth lab
problem. Those aren't the same thing. We've always known Mexican imports of
meth likely would increase when local production decreased. But unlike
these "mom and pop" labs, Mexican organizations can be attacked using
traditional tools like racketeering and conspiracy cases, because they're
economic crimes as opposed to addiction-driven crimes.

Even people like Woolridge who think methamphetamine should be legalized
should agree that the huge and deadly dangers attendant with the
clandestine manufacture of this drug should never be legal.

Scott Rowland, Oklahoma City

Rowland is general counsel for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and
Dangerous Drugs Control.