New Oklahoma Meth Law Gains National Attention

Oklahoma's new law to curb the production of methamphetamine has piqued the interest of the Bush administration, the Oklahoman reported Aug. 24.

Under the law, decongestants that contain pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in meth-making, are stored behind the counter at licensed pharmacies. Consumers must show identification before buying the products.

White House deputy drug czar Scott Burns recently visited Oklahoma to see if the law could be applied nationally. "President Bush sent me here. Drug czar John Walters sent me here to find out what they are doing in Oklahoma that has made such a dramatic difference," Burns said. "So far the results are remarkable. I traveled the country from Massachusetts to California to Texas and every village and hamlet in between, and they all want to know: How is it that Oklahoma has reduced drug labs by 50 to 70 percent in such a short amount of time?"

According to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, in March, when the law first took effect, the agency confiscated 100 meth labs statewide. In April, the number declined to 62 labs, and to 29 in May.

Burns is studying whether the law would work best applied nationally or left to individual states.

Source: www.jointogether.org