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New law aimed at limiting access to meth components makes sense
We’ve been hearing for several years now about the increasing prevalence of methamphetamine and its devastating effects on families and communities.
The manufacture of meth is especially dangerous for the children whose parents set up and operate in-house drug labs. More than 200 children in this state were removed from such labs during the past two years. Not only are these kids threatened by the toxic chemicals and potential explosions associated with meth production, they are also more vulnerable to abuse and neglect.
A factor contributing to the state’s skyrocketing meth production levels has been the easy availability of the drug’s main components, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which are found in many over-the-counter cold remedies. North Carolina’s new law, modeled after a similar Oklahoma statute, changes all that.
Starting this past Sunday, ephedrine-containing medications, such as Sudafed, must be located behind pharmacy counters, and purchasers choosing to buy such products must sign a log and show photo identification. Quantities are also limited, allowing individuals to obtain cold remedies adequate to treat a brief illness but far short of the large amounts needed to fuel an illegal meth lab.
According to Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe, the law is the result of the combined efforts of the state’s sheriffs’ association, Attorney General Roy Cooper and Sen. John Snow, D-Murphy, a former District Court judge. Snow’s firsthand experience with the devastation caused by meth was a factor in the law’s quick passage, Ashe said.
We think the new law is a step in the right direction, and we’re proud that our sheriff and our state senator had a hand in getting it on the books. A strategy that seeks to slow a drug epidemic by limiting access to its components makes sense and has been proven to be successful in other states.
We also applaud Ashe and the area retailers who have demonstrated the plan’s effectiveness through voluntary compliance to the measures made mandatory by the new law. Jackson County has seen a “dramatic” drop in meth production as a result of the voluntary efforts of local vendors, Ashe said.
While the new law can’t be expected to eradicate meth addiction and trafficking, it’s certainly a step in the right direction and one that gives law enforcement a practical weapon in the war on drugs.
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