CONTROLS NEEDED FOR METH

TO THE EDITOR:

Regarding "Nickles hears group's concerns about meth problem in county"
(news story, March 27): We need to realize that some people think they must
have a stimulant to go to that second job or to stay alert while driving.
Methamphetamine manufacturing at home came about in response to a market
need. When the Drug Enforcement Administration got into the business of
telling doctors they could no longer prescribe amphetamines because they
had a high potential for abuse, the black market met the needs of customers.

During the 1960s and 1970s you could go to your doctor and get a
prescription for amphetamines. Your doctor could monitor your health and
determine the amount you could use in a month. Now, with meth being in the
hands of the black market, there's no control and nobody goes to their
doctor and tells him they are using meth, for fear of arrest.

Meth is manufactured without controls for quality or purity, much like
bathtub gin during Prohibition. During that time many people were blinded
or killed until alcohol was again legal and regulated. Maybe we need to
consider putting this drug back in the hands of the physicians so we can
end the illegal market and the danger that comes with it.

Steven Sapp, Norman