NEW LAW TAKES EFFECT

"Methamphetamine can be made in illegal labs by mixing common
household products, including the pseudoephederine found in cold
medicine, legally sold in convenience stores everyday. Many local
stores are working with law enforcement to limit the availability of
methamphetamine manufacturing supplies.

Those retailers who sell these products knowing or having reason to
know that they will be used to make methamphetamine will be prosecuted
in this district and stiff penalties will be sought," said U.S.
Attorney Alice H. Martin.

Because of the efforts of State Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, president
pro tem of the Alabama Senate, along with the efforts of Martin and
law enforcement officials and agencies throughout the state, as of
Aug. 1, police had the weight of a state statute to use in prosecuting
those who manufacture and those supply the manufactures of
methamphetamine.

Director of the Marshall County Drug Enforcement Unit Rob Savage said
the Alabama Legislature's passing of the new law will greatly enhance
his departments ability to deal with illegal methamphetamine
manufactures and have a definite "positive effect in closing the gap."

Savage said, "Regardless of the method used to manufacture
methamphetamine the common denominator is ephedrine."

"You have to have it to manufacture it."

Previous to the laws enactment "the only statutes we could use were
Federal statutes. It will be a tremendous help to have state statutes
to operate under."

In part the amendment reads as follows:

"An amendment to Section20-2-190, Code of Alabama 1975, under section
(c) (1) On and after August 1, 2004, products whose sole active
ingredient is pseudoephedrine in strength of 60 mg. Or more per tablet
cannot be offered for retail sale loose in bottles, but must be sold
only in blister packages."

"Also these products cannot be offered for retail sale by
self-service, but must be stored behind a counter or barrier so that
it is not accessible by the public, and only accessible by a retail
store employee.

(2) On and after August 1, 2004, no person shall deliver I any single
over the counter sale more than 3 packages in any single number of
packages that contain a combined total of more than 9 grams of any
product containing as the sole ingredient, or in combination with
other active ingredients.

(4) This subsection shall preempt all local ordinances or regulations
governing the possession by individuals or sale by retail distributor
of over-the-counter products containing pseudoephdrine...."