ORDINANCE ON METH MEDS PASSES, BUT NOT WITHOUT OPPOSITION

Poplar Bluff's City Council passed an ordinance last night restricting the
sale of certain products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine in the
city limits, but not without some opposition, and some hesitation from a
city councilman.

The city wants retailers to put products containing ephedrine and
pseudoephedrine behind the counter in an effort to make it more difficult
for people who manufacture methamphetamine to get the key ingredients they
need. After the discussion in the last council meeting, the ordinance was
tightened somewhat to include not just all products containing those
ingredients -- effectively relegating all cold remedies and
energy-producing products to behind the counter -- but only those products
that contain ephedrine and pseudoephedrine as the main ingredient and
easily extracted for meth production.

Don Kissell, a lobbyist for MetaboLife, a dietary supplement containing
ephedra, asked the council not to approve the ordinance until it could be
brought into line with ordinances in St. Charles and St. Peters, both of
whom have revised their ordinances to be more specific about which products
should be put behind the counter and which could be safely left on the shelves.

MetaboLife, Kissell said, contains ephedra, a herbal product, is often
mistakenly included in the restricted section. He assured the council that
ephedra cannot be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Mike Sargent, from Washington, D.C. representing the Consumer Health Care
Products Commission, said the people he represents are concerned about the
burden such an ordinance would place on retailers.

"The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and Wal-Mart are opposed to
the ordinance," Sargent said.

Both suggested the council do more research into the situation, talk to
retailers, and learn from them what it takes to train employees to know
which products can go on the shelves and which have to go behind the
counter. Both pointed out also that the state already regulates the number
of packages of these products that can be sold at one time, and other
regulatory agencies also are watching. Also, they said, these products are
legitimate and can be sold freely to people who need them; they questioned
the legality of restricting them by making customers have to come ask for them.

Mayor Scott Faughn was adamant in his support of the ordinance.

"Our law enforcement came to us and asked can we give them one small tool
to fight meth with," Faughn said. "In my opinion it will be a sacrifice,
but it will be worth it to know our police won't have to talk to as many
parents (of young people involved with meth). Our law enforcement doesn't
have big-city lobbyists speaking for them. I've talked to the guys who put
their lives on the line and they said it will help them fight meth."

Councilman Tracy Edington, who owns a Money Mizer store in Poplar Bluff, at
first showed some hesitation about passing the ordinance.

"I've talked to other retailers" Edington said. "Most would rather be asked
than be forced to conform to an ordinance. They are heavily scrutinized and
regulated through DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), DPS (Department of
Public Safety), and limits on the packages. I would like to see the council
get more input from retailers before we act on it tonight. People who use
these products for meth suffer the consequences when they get caught. This
could turn into a can of worms."

Sargent suggested that rather than handle the problem with a city
ordinance, to let the state make the mandates.

"We are looking forward to the state addressing this problem," Faughn said.
"Until they do we feel we should be pro-active."

The state may act on it, and again it may not. Other parts of the state
where meth is not so prevalent might not see the need and their
representatives might not support such a proposal.

"In St. Louis and in Kansas City, it shows in bold headlines when they make
a bust," said City Manager Tom Lawson. "You come here and it's weekly.
These guys (police officers) need some tools."

It was after Det. Jeff Rolland of the Poplar Bluff Police Department spoke
that Edington changed his mind and supported the ordinance.

Rolland said that in the early 1990s, California was the "meth capital" of
the country. Missouri now holds that distinction, and Butler County is the
state's top producer. Rolland said that about 10 years ago an individual
from Poplar Bluff went to Springfield and learned how to cook meth. He came
back and taught his friends, and it mushroomed through Butler County from
there.

"They network just like we do," Rolland said. "If a store is an easy place
where it can be shoplifted, it's an easy mark; they talk to each other. If
we send a message that we will go the extra mile we will do that.

"There used to be 72 ways to manufacture meth; now it's in the hundreds.
But the key ingredient is ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. I think this is a
great way to solve the local problem. The Police Department is not looking
to hamper the sale to legitimate people or target retailers who sell the
products. We want to target the individuals who are getting this for
illegal purposes."

Councilman Loyd Matthews said that by making it inconvenient to buy the
products the city will do more than just run the meth producers out of town.

"When police officers bust a meth lab they do that at the risk of their
lives," Matthews said. "Have we not found small children under the age of 2
in houses in great danger? Have we not had houses blow up with kids in them?"

"People ask what they can do (about the meth problem)," Rolland said. "They
can go to the store and ask for the products. The difference between
stocking a shelf and stocking a shelf behind the counter is just an added
step, but it would make this community a much safer place to live and work in."

What convinced Edington was Rolland's comment about the networking between
the meth makers about which stores are easy marks.

"That got me coming back the other way," he said.