TIGHTER ALLERGY PILL SALES MAY BE KEY TO FIGHT METH

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has unveiled proposed legislation
that if enacted, could help crush the ability of local drug dealers to
manufacture methamphetamine.

House Bill 5416, the Methamphetamine Manufacturing Retail Sales Control
Act, would place severe restrictions on the sale of allergy tablets such as
Sudafed, which is an essential ingredient in the meth making process.

"Our goal is not to stop consumers from buying legitimate medicines; our
goal is to shut down the gray market where meth makers buy legal products
for illegal uses," said state Sen. William Haine, D-Alton, who sponsored
the bill.

Wayne County State's Attorney Kevin Kakac says that any law that inhibits
the sale of pseudoephedrine tablets for illegal purposes is good news for
his county.

"This proposed law would be helpful," Kakac said. "The tougher issue is the
availability of these pills to the public in mass quantities without much
accountability."

Kakac says the proposed law still doesn't get at the problem of large
groups of individuals who shop stores across a wide area for enough
medication to manufacture a single batch of meth.

"It's routine for these people to make pill-buying runs 24 hours a day, 7
days a week over a 150 mile range in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, in
return for a cut of the finished product."

Kakac says he believes the more daunting challenge will be to approach the
pharmaceutical industry about the possibility of requiring buyers to sign
for pseudoephedrine, instead of making it strictly an over-the-counter
medication.

"This is a commercial issue," Kakac said. "The meth manufacturing problem
is growing exponentially in our region, and it's brought about by the easy
availability of pseudoephedrine. While it may seem to be an inconvenience
to allergy sufferers, wouldn't it be worth it to have to sign for it? If
it's for a legal purpose why would you care?"

Sen. Haine's bill would require that cold tablets containing
pseudoephedrine or ephedrine be sold in blister packs containing no more
than three grams total of the medicine.

Further, the bill would require that stores sell no more than two packages
in a single transaction and make it illegal for clerks to sell such
medication if they believe it is being used to make meth, and not for
allergy relief.

If enacted, the law would require store personnel to understand how the
drug can be used to make an illegal substance and to report suspicious
activity to police.

Last year, records indicate more than 1,000 meth labs were seized in
Illinois, up from about 400 in 2001. The proposed law has the support of
the Illinois State Police, Illinois Pharmacists Association and the
Illinois Sheriff's Association.