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These materials were found being used in a methamphetamine lab in Cape Girardeau County by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force. Incidents of meth labs increased from 42 in 2008 to 146 in 2009. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Glaser, director of the drug task force) |
EDITOR'S NOTE: A spelling error was corrected in the story headline.
An increase in the incidents of manufacturing and possessing methamphetamine in 2009 has convinced the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force that lawmakers need to do more than move pseudoephedrine, a key component in making the drug, behind the pharmacy counter.
After a drop in the number of meth labs seized from 2005 to 2008, people seeking pseudoephedrine seemed to find a way around the law and began buying the legal amount at multiple pharmacies, according to Kevin Glaser, director of the drug task force.
Glaser said they seized 146 meth labs in 2009, a dramatic increase from the 42 labs busted in 2008.
Task force officers also saw a jump in the incidents of methamphetamine possession and distribution -- from 85 cases in 2008 to 348 in 2009.
 Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force Kevin Glaser said these bags of meth were seized recently in Chaffee, Mo. Each bag weighed in at 1 ounce. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Glaser) [Click to enlarge] |
A bill filed by Rep. Scott Lipke, R-Jackson, would require a doctor's prescription to purchase medicines containing pseudoephedrine, which is most commonly used to treat ear and sinus infections. The bill is aimed to keep the decongestant out of the hands of individuals who plan to abuse it, yet still available to those who need it.
"We've got to do something that stops the sale of that product," Glaser said. "We'd like to see the law go statewide, that is what's going to be most effective."
Vic Heisserer, a relief pharmacist for Horst Pharmacy of Jackson, said the law, if passed, may not be handy for some, but it would be in the public's best interest in the long run. The law as it is written now isn't working to counter the use of methamphetamine, he said.
"The person that's buying the medicine, they write down their license number themselves. They can give a false name," Heisserer said. "I do know that it's being abused."
While a more rigid law may inconvenience some, Lipke has said anyone that needs the medicine will not be denied it.
Glaser said much of the opposition for the bill stems from individuals concerned they'll have to see a doctor each time they need a cold remedy containing pseudoephedrine.
"If you're a person that absolutely has to have it, a doctor could write the prescription and it's good for a year," Glaser said. "We're trying to take the burden off the law-abiding people who are using it for legitimate purposes."
If people are willing to use Claritin or Zyrtec, medicines containing decongestants that don't have the qualities for making meth and available without a prescription, a change in the law may be more adaptable.
"There's just so many other products on the market that will do the same thing as far as your cold is concerned that don't have the qualities for making methamphetamines," Glaser said. "Why even mess with this one?"
The Kennett, Mo., and Poplar Bluff, Mo., city councils have already declared their support of the passage of the bill by passing a city ordinance making pseudoephedrine available only by prescription in their respective communities.
And while city leaders in Jackson have had general conversations on the issue, Mayor Barbara Lohr said they haven't begun to discuss it as a group. She said the city is supporting Lipke in his efforts to pass the bill that includes the entire state of Missouri.
"That way it would be consistent throughout the state," Lohr said. "I think that it would help the entire state ... in that it would reduce the number of meth labs in our area."
The city of Cape Girardeau has also not formally discussed the issue, according to city manager Scott Meyer. City leaders are working through various other issues, but that's not an indication of whether they'll address the issue of pseudoephedrine, Meyer said.
"What I know about the issue is, we do have a meth problem and whatever can be done to help that I think are appropriate acts," Meyer said. "Statewide is a more comprehensive way to look at it."
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"Current drug and lab seizure data suggests that approximately 80 percent of the methamphetamine used in the United States originates from larger laboratories operated by Mexican-based syndicates on both sides of the border." - DEA Congressional Testimony http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/cngrtest...
Nice to see that Lipke wants to invite more of those Mexican-based syndicates to grab an even larger share of the Missouri drug market.
Oddly enough Mexico has an outright ban on all pseudoephedrine. The biggest of the meth labs have real chemists and thus have no need for psuedoephedrine. Even if they had to have it they could just synthesize the psuedoephedrine themselves... their is always thousands of different ways to synthesize any chemical. Anyone wanting to ban a single ingredient obviously never took a chemistry class.
PRESCRIBITION????? How about Prescription???
So the banning of pseudoephedrine or it's OTC sale may have little or no affect on the production of meth. They siezed 146 meth labs - that's a good thing. It would seem the law enforcement and punishment of the criminals would have the best impact on the crime, not the restriction of legitimate public access to an ingredient, unless maintaining the 'appearance' of action is more important to elected officials. I dunno, just doesn't seem to add up.
I have a great idea! Why didn't we think of this before?
Let's make it so we have to have a prescription for heroin, cocaine, marijuana and all the other controlled substances! From reading this article requiring a prescription would be much more effective than just making illegal to even possess those controlled substances!
Jeepers...what what were we thinking?
I mean making it illegal to possess those substances does not work at all....(you can buy them on any street corner)...but if requiring a prescription for an ingredient in meth is going to greatly reduce the production thereof, then it stands to reason we have been handling the other controlled substances all wrong for years!
I quit listening to the DTF a long time ago as everything they promise will work doesn't.
We were told making possession of precursors would stop it.
We were told moving meds behind the counter would cure it.
I can't take any decongestants, so this won't affect me, I just don't believe it will work and will just result in another demand for more laws or restrictions.
NO.
If we don't do the same thing other towns are doing, all our drug stores will be full of skinny, ugly women with bad teeth lined up to buy
pseudoephedrine while their men smoke pot in the parking lot.
This really has nothing to do with making it harder for people to make meth. Pseudoephedrine is just one of several ingredients used to make meth and the law is doing nothing to make it harder to get these other things. The pharmasudical companys are putting hundreds of thousands it the politicians pockets to get them to do this so they can charge a lot more for the product.
You really need to have proper spelling on front page headlines. Unbelievable.
"There's just so many other products on the market that will do the same thing as far as your cold is concerned that don't have the qualities for making methamphetamines," Glaser said. "Why even mess with this one?"
Clearly Glaser has never suffered from colds, only allergies. Claritin and Zyrtec treat seasonal ALLERGIES, you moron, not sinus and nasal congestion. I take Claritin 9 months out of the year to handle my seasonal allergies. When my sinus congestion gets out of control or I have a cold, then I need to take Sudafed (the real stuff, not that phony Sudafed PE stuff that does nothing). In my 30 years of life experience, it's the only thing that really works on severe congestion. I find it outrageous that I'm looked at like a criminal every time I go to the pharmacy, and hand over my driver's license for the clerk to copy down the information or scan it into their system. Requiring me to use a physician to get an Rx for an OTC medicine is ridiculous, a waste of my money, both the physician's and my time, and a waste of valuable and limited health care resources.
Go ahead and pass this - punish the VOTING citizens of Missouri, the meth heads will simply cross into Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee to get the stuff they need and bring it back here to produce. If staring down a farmer's gun barrel when they are stealing the other ingredients doesn't deter these thugs, then an Rx requirement isn't going to either.
The drug task forces job is not to convince municipalities to inact ordinances or any law for that matter. There JOB is ONLY to enforce laws. Needless to say the laws they are suppose to enforce are all screwed up as is the task force.
It is a waste of tax payer money just like the so called war on drugs that has become a laughing stock and a no win situation. So now lets take away pseudoephedrine and watch the black market grow. With it will come more crime and more money!
Will ignorant people ever wake up? These people who take away our liberties to punish the few are tyrants. There ae better ways to deal with the drug issue in this Country. What we have been doing the last 4 decades has done NOTHING!
Prohibition will not work with the human species.
We have proved it with alcohol and prostitution.
It has done nothing but create a black market where lots of money is made. Where there is lots of money there is always crime. Stop the maddness and lets move in a different direction to lower drug use among our Citizens.
"There's just so many other products on the market that will do the same thing as far as your cold is concerned that don't have the qualities for making methamphetamines"
The drug task force must not get sick often.
No current decongestants work as well as psudoephedrine. If you have sinus problems, you know this is true. Now I get to pay co-pays for it - I feel safer already.
"The drug task forces job is not to convince municipalities to inact ordinances or any law for that matter. There JOB is ONLY to enforce laws."
Sounds like they're not doing their job or they have too much time and money. Perhaps their funding should be cut so they can focus on their primary role of enforcing current laws.
I am a big supporter of Law Enforcement, but I would support the disbanding of DTF to allocate funds elsewhere.
As it seesm the task force is stealing from all of us. They have NO buisness promoting sudafed prohibition. Disband them all. If Mr. Glaser wants to be a politician than so be it. But if he wants to remain in law enforcement I suggest he stick with the job he is paid which is enforcing existing laws and not trying to create NEW ONES!
Obviously the Sudafed people do not have any, or very good, lobbyist. That's how these things work in government.
GREEN BALLOONS, LIPKE. I give up!
Glaser is for anything that makes his job easier,he doesn't give a damn about people,drugs,or the consequences....they need to get him a real job earning money instead of pretending to be a big shot with this vital job.disband the task force and quit wasting money.
"The person that's buying the medicine, they write down their license number themselves. (Vic Heisserer)
Well, what the crap? Perhaps that is the problem. Every place I purchase my meds THEY take my drivers' license and record the info. Perhaps the SEMO Drug Task Force could spend some of their time/energy cross referencing the records. Sheesh.
The last time I took a prescribed allergy med: Allergra D (Tier 3 drug) it cost me $75./mo. for a month supply. Can't wait to see how much these meds will go up now.
There is a canister of propane, a thermos jug, a plastic cup, a rubber tire on an attached vehicle, and some other products in the photo. To really be safe Lipke and Glaser ,let's require government permission to buy those items as well. Heck why not go all the way and legislate a government blessing to buy anything? That for sure will eliminate illegal drugs once and for all, right?
blogbudsman and GREYWOLF you both have very valid points. There are many ingredients in the manufacturing of meth. Many of which are normal everyday consumer products. Not to mention what happens to the people that are visiting your great state on vacation and need pseudoephedrine what are they suppose to do. The big thing which you both touched on is the justice system the TASK FORCES go through some extensive work and hours to catch and arrest the meth heads. Then the meth heads go the court, to basically get a slap on the wrist. There needs to be put in place some stiffer consequences and mandatory jail time. OTCs behind the counter is enough checks and balances as far as I am concerned. Now if we can get the Justtice system to do some changing Jpw about making all drug (meth)related charges a felony instead of a misdemeanor with mandatory jail time no suspended days at all.
Many commenters on seMissourian.com really make me wonder.....some comments are just plain ridiculous and all I hear is wahh wahh wahhh I dont want to see the doctor mommy. Yes there will still be meth around (from mexico/other states) but it will be much less prevalent in our state or locally, depending on what bills get passed. Yes you can synthesize pseudoephedrine (in a lab), but I really doubt the white trash are going to be doing that in their shanties (thus cutting down on it in our state). The only solution to the so called "war on crime" is making it prescription only, or the seldom talked about thought of making a statewide database where everyones ID is entered, and their purchases documented. I see people come into my pharmacy everyday, and I would bet my house they are going to the next store down the road to get their months supply again. If it was all computerized this would be solved. Now we just need some computer engineer to make this program (and a couple million in federal funding for the system in every pharmacy). I suppose the couple million is the only part stopping that...
We have tried the lengthy sentencing and mandatory sentencing and about everything else on the state and federal level and we were told "this will fix the drug problem". I was an early and ardent proponent of the "War on Drugs", but dealing with criminals in and out of prison proved to me this did not work then and won't now.
Our prisons are so over crowded now that we aren't sending people up or keeping them long enough for crimes of violence and sex offenses as it is.
How many times is the Missourian going to run this story? If the intent is to sway public opinion, judging from the comments I don't see it happening. Try again next week.
Just think what effect this will have on the uninsured? Many people without heath insurance will just go without medication because of this.
Also, decreasing "mom and pop" operations that make meth is just strengthening the Mexican Drug Cartel. This will not cause less people to use meth, it will just shut down the small operations and drug users will buy their meth from the bigger operations.
"unless maintaining the 'appearance' of action is more important to elected officials. I dunno, just doesn't seem to add up."
-- Posted by blogbudsman on Mon, Jan 25, 2010, at 5:12 AM
Well said!
Wow! Having been away from Southeast Missouri for some time I completely forgot how out of touch some of its citizens can be. Disband the DTF? Cut its funding? If you think there are drug problems in your area now, just wait. The men and women who work in Law Enforcement, curtailing your area's drug problems (not just in the DTF) work hard to keep the issue at bay. Drug dealers don't take weekends off, nor holidays, and the individuals who work relentlessly to keep you and your family safe sacrifice a lot to do so.
I guarantee, like many programs that try to make a difference, the DTF is severely underfunded. That's fine, wish it away. I guarantee, when things go from bad to worse you'll wish you hadn't made that remark...I guess having the label "meth capital of the world" for years now just doesn't mean that much. Hindsight is 20/20.
dixiewrecked -
At a $25 copay for the office visit, 2 hours of missed pay from my job while I wait in the doctor's office, another hour of missed pay while I wait for the pharmicist to fill the Rx (so difficult since all he has to do is grab the box off the shelf and slap a label on it) but because its an actual Rx I have to wait for him to fill everyone else's 10 bottles of pills before he gets around to mine, plus the drug copay for my insurance because this is now an Rx, I'll be out more than $125 to buy a $3 box of generic Sudafed. You are right, I don't want to have to see a doctor this - is doesn't make simple economic sense for me. However it makes perfect sense for greedy doctors and pharmicist out to rip off the american public a little more. Is that what you do in YOUR pharmacy? If so, which pharmacy is it so I can make sure I DON'T GO THERE????
I dont make the prices lady. WHEN they make this a law, tell your friendly pharmacist just to run it as cash and you will pay the $5.85 just like you have been all along. Unfortunately you are right, and the office visit will cost. May I suggest going to a promt care on a day off? Perhaps having them fax the script to said pharmacy? When you arrive, it will be ready to pick up, and could be like this for a year (if you ask the doctor to write it for that). Thats < 1 hr round trip unless your farm is in the middle of no where. This would benefit many on welfare who would most likely get it for free, and many with insurance (who have already met their deductable) would get it for probably just cents.
Perhaps they should step up the punishment for meth addicts and production of meth, rather than make life difficult for the rest of us by making it more difficult to get these drugs. Gov't always works this way.... They take the easy way out by restricting the freedom of the law-abiding citizens, because it's too much of a hassle to go after the law breakers.
Anyone take Adderall? How easy is it to get your prescription? Stop punishing law abiding citizens and punish the ones who snort DRANO. Geez.
The punishments for drugs have increased steadily since 1967. Geez people it HAS NOT WORKED! Please someone convince me it has! We have overloaded our penal institutions with drug abusers while the real criminals are puinished less! There is NO attempt to rehabilitate because even though that is what prisons are supose to do they DON'T!
Why should we fill our prisons with addicts? There is a better way. Legalize marijuana now. Create a new industry by legalizing hemp. It would also be good for the environment as well.
Fine clothing and hundreds of other products including bio fuels can be made from hemp. Re think the penalties we now have in place concerning drugs and decriminalize other drugs as well. What we are doing and have been doing has not worked. Time to move forward with intelligent ideas concerning drugs.
Leave us law-abiding citizens alone. It is demoralizing and frustrating enough to have to give your driver's license at the pharmacy to get the only non-prescription drug that actually works on congestion. I went to buy a box for myself and a box for my husband since I was the one at the drug store while he was working. Nope, two boxes of two different kinds of sinus tablets put me over the daily limit so I had to choose who got to feel better that day, me or him! Focus on the real criminals. We were told that having to buy the product from behind the counter would nearly end the problem - it evidently did give the criminals a year or so to figure out how to get around it now we are back to square one. This is how it will always be so focus on them not us!!!!