LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SEES RESULTS, TOO

Methamphetamine labs are drying up in the Muskogee County area, thanks
to restrictions recently placed on pseudoephedrine by state lawmakers,
according to local law authorities.

Lt. Tim Gibson with the special investigations unit at Muskogee Police
Department said that so far this year 15 labs have been found. While
this might seem on par with last year's number of 26, Gibson said the
rate of lab discoveries has plummeted. So far this month only one lab
has been discovered and the number stayed at 14 for several months
before.

The legislation Gov. Brad Henry signed in April banned store sales of
medications that contain pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in
methamphetamine. The medications may be sold only to people who
present photo identification and sign for them.

Gibson credits the local decrease in meth labs directly to the
legislation.

"The law is working," Gibson said.

Dick Huitt, field supervisor for the District 15 drug task force, said
he has seen a "significant drop" in the number of operational meth
labs.

Huitt said this has lead to a decrease of meth on the drug market.

Gibson and Huitt both said they have seen an increase in the number of
people ferrying pseudoephedrine across the state lines into Oklahoma.

Alan Loyd, Sequoyah County Sheriff's Department investigator, said he
has seen quite a bit of action on his state line with Arkansas. That
state has no such law.

"We knew that would be the case," Loyd said.

Loyd said pseudoephedrine traffickers arecrossing the state line and
buying the chemical from Arkansas stores. While the law has shut down
many "mom and pop" small scale operations, Loyd said the larger meth
suppliers have better connections. Pseudoephedrine traffickers for
these larger operations are getting across the state line and buying
up large quantities of common cold medicines and bringing them back
into the state.

Loyd said the cooperation between state line town law authorities on
both sides are putting a squeeze on traffickers, causing them to go
farther into neighboring states. The farther they have to go, the
easier they will be to catch, Loyd said.

Loyd said other states should look into adopting similar legislation
on pseudoephedrine restrictions.

"It's made an impact," he said.