COOPER DISCUSSES METH, 'DO-NOT-CALL'

On his way to the community meeting at the Fairfield Inn on the growing
methamphetamine problem in the state and county, North Carolina Attorney
General Roy Cooper sat down for an interview Tuesday afternoon to discuss
"meth," financial identity fraud and the Do-not-call registry.

Addressing the meth problem, Cooper said that Watauga County was "ground
zero" in the problem. Asked why methamphetamine and why Watauga County,
Cooper said, "We know that Watauga County is the hot spot in North
Carolina. We have busted 116 of these secret drug labs, 24 of these have
been in Watauga County.

"As to why Watauga County, I don't know specifically. I do know that often
times rural settings are a favorite of these criminals who cook
methamphetamine in these secret drug labs. They like to be hidden away as
much as possible.

"The problem is statewide in that these labs are being found in people's
homes, in apartment buildings, in hotels; they're everywhere."

Cooper said that the manufacture of these synthetic drugs poses a greater
risk than cocaine and heroin because of the dangerous and volatile
chemicals used.

Mentioning community and retailer involvement in fighting this drug
problem, Cooper referred to ephedrine, an over-the-counter cold remedy that
is the primary "precursor" product in the manufacturing process. "If a
person comes into the local retail store or the local pharmacy and they
decide to buy three cases of ephedrine... it doesn't mean that they have a
big family with a bad cold. It means that they are going to use it to cook
methamphetamine. We have to work with retailers, pharmacists and
agricultural chemical dealers to get them aware of the problem."

Ease of access to the ingredients and profit are the driving force for meth
cooks, Cooper said. Watauga County Sheriff Mark Shook agrees and has said
that a $400 investment in common household products can yield a $4,000 drug
profit.

Watauga County District Attorney Jerry Wilson has gained statewide and
national attention for charging meth lab operators with the possession and
manufacture of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) based on the chemicals
used in the manufacturing process.

Questions have arisen as to whether or not Wilson was charging outside of
the intent of the WMD statutes and was attempting to create, rather than
enforce, law.

Cooper declined to comment on the specifics of Wilson's tactics or the use
of the WMD statute for drug manufacturing, but said, "It's a reflection of
the frustration that law enforcement and prosecutors feel about being
overwhelmed by this problem of secret drug labs and not being given the
resources and the appropriate sentencing for this type of activity.

"I'm going to work with Mr. Wilson and Sheriff (Mark) Shook and law
enforcement and prosecution all across the state to present a package to
the General Assembly which will include appropriate punishment for this
type of activity.

"We have to send a message that we are not going to tolerate this, and that
includes tough sentences."

Cooper said that he plans a statewide summit on Oct. 2 at Wake Forest
University to gather law enforcement, prosecutors and health officials to
plan a strategy to address the problem.

Beyond the legal and safety implications, Cooper expressed his great
concern for the dangers to law enforcement and emergency personnel exposed
to the drug and its by-products.

He said that children, living in meth-lab homes, had been discovered with
health problems ranging from needle tracks caused by syringes laying around
and turned into toys, to hepatitis C and lung and brain damage from
exposure to the drug.

Moving on from drugs to identity theft, Cooper said that North Carolina was
leading the nation in addressing the problem of credit card fraud and
identity theft.

"North Carolina has probably been the model for the nation. We are working
to pass tougher laws. We are training prosecutors and law enforcement on
how to deal with this problem. We are getting businesses to do a better job
in protecting our financial information.

"We just pushed through legislation this session that would prevent
retailers from printing the whole credit card number on the receipt. Often
times criminals use that information to steal."

Cooper said that the theft of social security numbers, bank account numbers
and credit card numbers is a major problem for law enforcement and the
victims of identity crimes and that his office was working with victims to
help them clear their destroyed credit and reestablish their identities.

The thieves, Cooper said, take credit card applications from mail boxes as
well as steal out-going bill payments from mail boxes. He said that with
the information on the bills, receipts and bank accounts, thieves can then
establish lines of credit, take out loans and request additional credit
cards. The victim, he said, is often unaware of the crime until contacted
by creditors seeking payment on the phony charges and debts. Innocent
victims, Cooper added, have even been arrested because of crimes committed
by people using their identity.

No one, he said, should ever give their social security number, bank
account number or credit card number to a phone solicitor and everyone
should buy a shredder to shred receipts and documents with personal
information.

"The FTC (Federal Trade Commission), looking at the data they collected
last year, they estimate that 266,000 North Carolinians were the victim of
identity theft just this past year. The FTC is predicting that one in three
people in this country will become a victim of identity theft.

"Businesses are losing billions of dollars. People are losing their good
names."

Cooper said additional and stricter laws and punishments will help and his
office is considering attempting to establish a victim "passport" or
identity to show businesses that they have been a victim and to help them
reestablish credit and a proper identity.

On the Do Not Call Registry to block unsolicited telemarketer calls, Cooper
said, "Over 1.5 million North Carolinians have signed up for Do Not Call.
That sends a loud message that people are tired of unwanted calls. "The
beauty of the Do Not Call registry is that it is all about consumer choice.
If you don't want to get these calls, sign up for the registry."

Cooper said that he is doing the resisting telemarketing industry a favor
by cutting their overhead and removing from their list people who have no
interest in their service or product. He said that culling the list will
allow the telemarketers to concentrate time and effort on people who might
be interested.

Cooper said, "Telemarketing is the only form of commerce that I know of
where the seller chooses the time when you go shopping."

Cooper said that you can sign up on the state and federal Do Not Call
registry online at: www.nocallsnc.com

"It's one-stop shopping," he said with a laugh.

Cooper said that the state law on No Call is, in some respects, more strict
than the federal law and that North Carolina will enforce the strictest
provision. He requested that anyone on the registry who continues to
receive calls file a complaint with his office so that the law may be
enforced. He said that if you have already signed up on the federal
registry there is no reason to sign up on the state registry, the federal
list has been incorporated into the state registry.