NEW ANTI-METH LAW EXPLAINED TO RETAILERS

Questions about a new Cookeville ordinance restricting the sale of
medicines used in manufacturing illegal 'meth' were addressed Thursday by
medical personnel as well as Cookeville police officers. About 15 retailers
showed up to learn what they need to do when the new ordinance goes into
effect next Thursday, July 3, and to ask questions about how the ordinance
will affect them and their customers.

Dr. Sullivan Smith, director of the Emergency Room at Cookeville Regional
Medical Center, explained that the drugs controlled by the ordinance are
drugs that have only ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as the active
ingredients. Those two items are required ingredients in meth production.

Smith said combination products such as Advil, Afrin or Motrin, cold and
cough medicines and medicines for pediatrics, sales by a pharmacist to an
established customer or prescriptive sales would not be included in the
ordinance regulations.

Products containing the regulated drugs as the sole active ingredient must
be kept either behind the counter, locked behind glass or within six feet
of the cash register.

There's also a limit to how much customers can buy -- 100 tablets or three
grams, whichever comes first.

Customers who buy the regulated products would be required to sign a
register with their name, address, form of identification and number, the
product and amount, date and name of the employee who made the sale.

That information should be maintained by the store personnel and kept for
three years in the event it should be required by law enforcement personnel.

"The ordinance is tailored after similar legislation in other states but
it's better," Dr. Smith said.

He also discussed the importance of implementing the new ordinance because
of the growing problem of meth use.

"Four to six times a day we're seeing someone in the ER who has a meth
problem," he said. "Eighty-five percent of drug treatment programs in the
Upper Cumberland are meth problems."

"Meth is a huge part of violent crime in this community," he said.

Retailers may be fined up to $50 for every day in violation of the new
ordinance.

Smith said he realizes that the ordinance will be more work for store
clerks but emphasized that by following the ordinance, store personnel will
have to deal with 'meth cooks' only rarely because they will likely go
somewhere else if they have to sign a log.

On Thursday, some retailers were concerned about letting all the retailers
know before the effective date while others wanted to know more about
training their employees.

Smith and Cookeville law enforcement officers offered to help retailers
through classes and by coming up with some certification for employees to
sign once they understand their role in the new ordinance.

"The key to this -- if we show it works here and it goes other places, it
will force the state to come back and pass something more strict than a $50
fine," said Cookeville City Councilman Ricky Shelton who sponsored the
ordinance.

"We're trying to attack a problem where this is the only single item they
have to have," he said. "We don't want to limit legitimate sales."

And Cookeville police officials say they understand it will take some time
for retailers to comply with the new ordinance, but will begin periodically
checking with different stores to insure compliance.

One retailer had a question about customers who buy a couple of pills a day
containing the regulated ingredients and was concerned about slowing
customers down in their purchases and inconveniencing other customers.

And officials discussed having a separate page of the log per customer for
those who frequent the same stores daily to buy drugs such as "yellow
jackets" to keep them awake at work.

'Meth Watch'

Another program discussed by officials Thursday is "Meth Watch."

The program focuses on teamwork between retailers and law enforcement by
giving stores the opportunity to report suspicious sales to the anonymous
Crimestoppers phone number.

The program also provides signs on store front windows showing which stores
participate in the program in order to deter meth makers from shopping at
those locations.

"We're encouraging you to display these in your stores," said Cookeville
Police Officer Myke Green. "We'll print up the stickers and supply you with
brochures and give you a suspicious transaction sheet. It's an extra step
in preventing meth production."

Store clerks may report suspicious sales to Crimestoppers at (931) 544-7867
or (931) 520-7867.

"The meth watch will be the thing that will spread like wildfire," Green
said. "The goal of it (ordinance) is not to fine the stores. We're hoping
to set a precedent."

* Those who have questions about the new ordinance or the Meth Watch
program may call Officer Myke Green at (931) 526-2125.