LEADERS VOW TO BATTLE DRUG'S INFLUENCE FIGHTING METH

ATLANTA - State leaders vowed an all-out fight against methamphetamine
production and abuse Wednesday at a summit devoted to the topic recommended
new restrictions on the distribution of some kinds of cold medicines.

"This battle will be waged with legal, economic, social, medical,
psychological and even spiritual tools," Gov. Sonny Perdue said in his
second address to the two-day conference. "Whatever we need to bring to
this fight, we must be prepared to bring."

Casting the struggle against meth as a fight for the future of Georgia,
Perdue said the state had to create hope as a way to fight "a despair that
attracts death and feeds on it."

"We'll fight this battle county by county, community by community, home by
home, life by life," Perdue said. "And God help us, we will win."

The governor also announced a new agreement between the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation and the state Division of Family and Children Services on how
to deal with children found at meth labs.

Under the "memorandum of understanding," the bureau will give DFACS advance
word when it plans to take down a meth lab. The child welfare agency will
look for any contact it has had with the family and attend the GBI
briefings before the raid. DFACS and the bureau will work together on
interviews with any children found at the site, along with the children's
parents or guardians.

DFACS will also work on finding a safe place for the children while the GBI
waits to take them into protective custody.

One of the more radical recommendations to come out the summit was a
proposal to place added restrictions on ephedrine and pseudoephedrine,
common ingredients in cold medicine and one of many accessible substances
needed to make meth. The summit recommended restrictions similar to those
in Oklahoma, where residents must get the medicine from behind pharmacy
counters.

"I think that's something we can document," said Phil Price, a special
agent with the GBI. "It doesn't cost anybody any money."

Shortly after closing the summit, Perdue sounded a note of caution about
that recommendation, noting the possibility that some would consider those
rules infringing on their rights. But he said the restrictions appeared to
be working in Oklahoma.

"I think it's incumbent on us to look at what actions they've taken and see
what results they've had," Perdue said.

The governor also said he would pay close attention to recommendations
dealing with drug courts and other prevention and treatment methods.

"We can't incarcerate ourselves out of this problem," he said.

Summit organizers warned not to expect too much immediate progress from the
gathering, but said it was a good first step.

"This is a long struggle," said James Copple, a consultant for the National
Crime Prevention Council. "This problem didn't happen overnight, and it's
not going to be solved overnight."

Summit attendees gathered Wednesday in groups based on judicial circuits,
though only the hardest-hit areas were represented at the forum. However,
organizers said the summit's recommendations would produce models that
could be used in other parts of the Peach State.

"We expect in the future to bring additional groups together," said Gale
Buckner, executive director of the state Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

The summit's complete recommendations weren't released Wednesday. Copple's
group plans on compiling the suggestions and posting them on the Internet
so those attending the meeting can help prioritize the proposals.