(2004 x 3000 px, 300 dpi)
"With the help of consumers and retailers across the state, our battle against methamphetamine will reach a critical new level by further reducing access to the key ingredient in this poisonous drug," explains Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan "This law brings law enforcement, retailers and consumers together, in a united front, to make it harder for criminals to complete their methamphetamine shopping lists." Highly addictive, methamphetamine is both dangerous to make and severly toxic. Beginning last Sunday, Illinois consumers are required to present identification at a retail or pharmacy counter before purchasing certain cold and allergy medications containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine — key ingredients in the production of meth.
Madigan said she expects the restrictions provided in the Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act (MPCA) to create significant barriers for meth makers in obtaining the necessary supplies to produce their deadly drug. The law has purveyors of cold medication containing pseudoephedrine (like Sudafed, Tylenol Cold and Claritin D) register their purchase, making the transaction more traceable and alerting authorities to those who purchase large quantities over time. In addition, in registering their identification with store personnel, the legislation plays-off the characteristic paranoia of meth users, adding an extra deterrent in obtaining the vital component of the often homemade drug.
Oregon, which enacted a similar law, saw meth lab busts decrease by half soon after it went into effect. Illinois lawmakers hope a similar pattern will happen here, with fewer out-of-state meth makers crossing into Illinois to purchase these ingredients.
Rural County Escalation
In Illinois, methamphetamine lab seizures have increased remarkably— from 24 in 1997 to 403 in 2000 to 1099 in 2003. With a soaring number of statewide lab discoveries, Illinois is now ranked third highest in the nation for production. Madigan explains that past state attempts to deal with this scourge, simply placing pseudoephedrine-based medications behind the counter, proved ineffective. Instead of discouraging purchase, Meth makers flocked to Illinois from states that had harsher laws.
As ingredients for meth making have been relatively cheap and easy to obtain, the manufacture of the drug becomes available to nearly anyone. Aside from the pseudoephedrine products another key component in Midwest meth preparation— a liquefied fertilizer known as anhydrous ammonia— is commonly found in rural areas.
As a result, rural counties are experiencing the greatest seizure rate increase— nearly six times greater than the entire state. Until the early-1990s, methamphetamine was made mostly made by drug traffickers in Mexico and California. Over the last decade, however, authorities have discovered increasing numbers of small-scale methamphetamine labs that are often located in rural, suburban, or low-income areas. Nationwide, the meth problem is most prevalent in suburban and rural areas of the Southwest and Midwest.
A 1999 study found that eighth-graders in rural areas were more than twice as likely as those in urban areas to use meth.
As part of Wednesday's state of the state address, Gov. Rob Blagojevich proposed another tool in dealing with what some call the state's rapidly growing meth epidemic— a meth unit at the Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center in East St. Louis in the coming year and one at the Sheridan prison next year. In the governor's plan, each unit would have space for 200 people.
In response to the Governor's proposal, Deanne Benos, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, told the Associated Press, "What we're really trying to do here is give the offenders the opportunity to develop some tools to become accountable for their actions, so that when they go home they become responsible citizens."
Federal Resistance
Following the examples of Oklahoma, Iowa and Oregon, Illinois will join the growing number of states enacting some sort of pseudoephedrine restriction in an effort to tackle a fast-growing problem. However, Federal perception of the epidemic seems to conflict with individual state experience. To add to the nationwide confusion, figures released by the Federal government indicate that, contrary to public perception, methamphetamine use has actually declined nationally in recent years.
In July 2005, Todd Zwillich of WebMD Medical News detailed the complaints of rural counties with Federal policy of meth, "[county] Officials complained that the rising use of methamphetamine is increasingly responsible for child neglect cases and arrests for domestic violence. Overdoses with the drug, as well as poisonings and burn injuries from manufacturing labs, are putting increased pressure on rural and county hospitals, they say. Forty percent of 303 counties in 13 states surveyed by the [National Association of Counties] reported an increase in neglected children placed outside the home by child welfare departments because of methamphetamine use. The 2006 federal budget cuts $804 million in federal grants that localities used to police methamphetamines and other drugs. The White House budget states that the funds, called the Justice Assistance Program, 'do not have a record of demonstrating results."' In August of last year, a now controversial issue of Newsweek devoted a cover story to methamphetamine and its abuse, including criticism of the Bush administration's policies regarding meth. Newsweek faulted the administration for not devoting enough resources to education about and prevention of meth use. The Federal government continues what to many seems a misguided and unproductive strategy— focusing its resources on marijuana. Federal officials believe that as a 'gateway' drug, preventing cannabis use will prevent potential abusers from trying and becoming hooked on "hard" drugs such as meth.
Despite the controversy, and the added inconvenience and paperwork now facing retailers of the over-the-counter cold remedies, the new statewide measures will hopefully lead to Illinois becoming a less desirable state for meth makers. "Illinois again has one of the toughest laws in the nation when it comes to restricting access to ingredients used to make meth," Madigan said. "This law ensures that Illinois is keeping up with the criminals who will go to any length to access the ingredients they need to make their drugs."
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