MONTEREY APPROVES ANTI-METH ORDINANCE

Monterey officials unanimously tentatively adopted an anti-drug
ordinance last night that requires retailers to put restrictions on
the sale of over-the-counter products that go into the make-up of
methamphetamine. A second vote is to be taken at the board's September
meeting.

The ordinance is the same as the one recently approved by Cookeville
City Council with the aim of stopping or slowing down the sale of cold
and allergy medications that are used in the production of the highly
addictive and dangerous stimulant, commonly known as "meth."

It requires retailers to check the ID of anyone purchasing
across-the-counter products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or
phenylpropanolamine. Most purchasers must sign a register when they
buy those products.

In addition, those products cannot be displayed on consumer-accessible
shelving but must be kept behind the counter.

And purchasers can no longer buy the items in bulk.

Retailers who disregard the ordinance can be fined up to $50 a day for
infractions.

That ordinance is based in part on a bill that was sponsored by State
Sen. Charlotte Burks and easily passed in the Tennessee Senate but was
postponed in the House as a result of lobbying by retailers'
associations.

Cookeville was one of the first cities in the state to create its own
ordinance to try to stem meth production in Tennessee.