MOST METH INGREDIENTS COMMON TO HOUSEHOLDS

A cop pulls a speeder over and finds 10 packs of lithium batteries and
several packs of Sudafed in the car. Perhaps the driver is allergic to
ragweed and owns many battery-operated appliances. Or is he on his way
to the woods to make crystal methamphetamine?

The Mississippi precursor law makes possessing two or more precursors
a felony.

"That's what makes the law difficult; you have to use some judgement
to decide whether to prosecute them for precursors of for a long
camping trip," said drug court judge Keith Starrett of McComb.

Others concede the law is open to interpretation but say common sense
guides lawmen.

"You're going to lock grandma up for coming home with two packs of
pseudoephedrine? No, you can't," said Ronnie Frazier of the
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. "I mean, common sense plays a lot in
it. But when you got a 16-year-old riding around, and he's got 600
hits of pseudoephedrine and 200 lithium batteries in the back seat, or
a case of starter fluid, and he don't have a farm - you know, those
are things you just put together."

There is no law barring the purchase of pills containing
pseudoephedrine, a meth precursor and ingredient in many allergy and
diet pills. But lawmen say they encourage area pharmacies to limit
sales to three packs per shopper.