Meth Lab Seizures Decrease

(Topeka, Kansas) It seems that the new law which requires taking cold and allergy medicines off store shelves and selling them only at pharmacies is having the desired effect.

From KansasCity.com:

From June, when the law took effect, through August, the number of seized meth labs was down 64 percent compared with the same period in 2004 - a drop from 135 to 49 labs, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

"If this pattern continues, this is the best thing for law enforcement since glazed doughnuts," said KBI Deputy Director Kyle Smith. "We are seeing a distinct drop as the law goes into effect."

According to the new law, buyers of cold and allergy tablets containing the decongestant pseudoephedrine or ephedrine must now show identification and sign a log book. Also, stores are not allowed to sell more than three packages within a week to a customer.

Many states have enacted or are contemplating similar laws which restrict the availability of medicines containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine. Consistently, the result has been evidence of fewer methamphetamine labs.

In a related effort, there is indication that manufacturers of decongestant medication are now trending toward replacing the pseudoephedrine in their products with phenylephrine which is a less effective medicine, but it is not suitable for manufacturing meth.