Missouri State Highway Patrol: Prescription laws have had effect on meth production

Statistics kept by the Missouri State Highway Patrol indicate that methamphetamine-related incidents have gone down in some parts of Southeast Missouri since many cities began requiring a prescription to purchase pseudoephedrine.

Nearly 60 Missouri communities have adopted laws that require prescriptions to get pseudoephedrine, a primary ingredient in meth. Southeast Missouri communities that have adopted such a law include Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City, Perryville, Poplar Bluff, Dexter and Sikeston.

Pseudoephedrine, commonly found in products like Sudafed and Claritin D, clears the nasal passages and offers cold relief by stopping the body's secretions.

However, 85 to 90 percent of pseudoephedrine purchased in Missouri is used to produce the illicit drug, said Jason Grellner, a Franklin County narcotics investigator and vice president of the Missouri Narcotics Officers Association. That number has been disputed by some, such as those who represent the health and beauty industry.

Cape Girardeau County had 66 methamphetamine-related incidents, or an average of 5.5 incidents per month, in 2010, according to highway patrol statistics. Cape Girardeau's prescription law went into effect in December of that year, while Jackson's law was voted into effect in October 2010.

Incidents include the discovery of labs and the seizure of chemicals and supplies used to make the drug and dump sites.

Through November 2011, Cape Girardeau County had 39 meth-related incidents for the year, for an average of slightly more than 3.5 incidents per month, according to the highway patrol data.

Cape Girardeau County was on pace for fewer than 45 incidents last year, more than a 30 percent drop from 2010.

Pharmacists and health care providers in Cape Girardeau have expressed mixed reactions to prescription-only laws. But many pharmacists say they're seeing far less traffic from people they suspected were buying the drug for illicit reasons.

Broadway Prescription Shop owner Kevin Wood said prescription-only laws have been the best solution and that all his pseudoephedrine customers have been legitimate users since Cape Girardeau's law went into effect.

"We're seeing a lot less scary people," he said.

Cape Girardeau County prosecutor Morley Swingle opposed the law when it was being debated in Cape Girardeau. He has said he believes requiring a prescription for the pills creates a financial hardship on people who suffer from colds and allergies, especially those who are uninsured.

Scott County saw an even larger decrease after its two largest cities, Scott City and Sikeston, enacted prescription laws. Scott City's law went into effect Jan. 1, 2011, while Sikeston's went into effect on a trial basis in April 2010. The trial ended with the law being adopted after a year.

Scott County had 64 meth-related incidents in 2010, or an average of 5.3 incidents per month. That's almost as many as Cape Girardeau County, which has almost twice the population of Scott County.

Through November 2011, Scott County had 27 incidents, or 2.45 incidents per month, according to the patrol data. The county was on pace for fewer than 30 incidents in 2011, a more than 50 percent drop.

New Madrid County also saw a substantial drop in meth-related incidents in 2011. In 2010, 49 incidents were reported. Through November 2011, 23 incidents had been reported, making the monthly average just less than two incidents. Sikeston is partially in New Madrid County, and Portageville recently enacted a law requiring prescriptions for pseudoephedrine. The county was on pace for roughly 25 incidents in 2011, almost half of 2010's 49 incidents.

Although there has been a substantial reduction in meth-related incidents in some Southeast Missouri counties, a bill suggesting a statewide prescription law was recently shot down in the Senate.

New legislation that would lower the state's monthly and annual limits on the amount of pseudoephedrine a person can buy and require a doctor's prescription for felony drug offenders was introduced last month and has the backing of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.

psullivan@semissourian.com

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710 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO