Word: oklahomas
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...other chemicals with recipes found on the Internet. Although an estimated three-quarters of the meth used in the U.S. is smuggled in by Mexican gangs, more than 8,500 domestic labs were raided last year. The drug, when abused, can lead to paranoia and violent outbursts. Three Oklahoma state troopers have been killed in meth-related cases since...
Some 65 officials from 14 states gathered in St. Louis, Mo., in December to push for stricter laws, despite opposition from retailers and drug companies defending the $1.8 billion cold-remedy market. According to Lonnie Wright, director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Schedule V reclassification has "revolutionized" meth enforcement in the state, with busts dropping from more than 100 a month in 2003 to about 20. The rate could fall further in the next few months as every Oklahoma pharmacy gets a new computer program showing whether a customer has recently bought pseudoephedrine products elsewhere. "Simply by putting this...
...other states balk at the Oklahoma model, they may find themselves in the position of next-door Kansas, which saw a rash of meth cooks cross the state line after Oklahoma passed its law. "Any state in the Midwest that doesn't pass the bill this year has the opportunity to become the meth capital of the region," says Corporal Jason Grellner, the Franklin County, Mo., deputy who organized the St. Louis meeting. "And believe me, nobody wants that." Texas is considering going even further, requiring a prescription for any drug--such as some Sudafed products--whose sole active ingredient...
...that cannot be used in the production of meth and has been available for years in Europe. But the company is also eager to point out ways in which the legislative backlash may be misguided: Pfizer spokesman Jay Kosminsky says that a problem with some current state laws, including Oklahoma's, is that they exempt liquid or gel-cap medications and multi-ingredient medications that contain pseudoephedrine, in the mistaken belief that those items cannot be cooked into meth...
...Oklahoma pharmacist Dodson agrees because he saw it for himself. The new requirements mean more paperwork, and falling sales of Sudafed in his store. "But to me, it is worth it," he says. "It keeps us safe." --With reporting by Sarah Sturmon Dale/Minneapolis