LOCAL COUNTY SUPPORTS RESTRICTIONS ON SALE OF PSEUDOEPHEDRINE

KINGMAN - Mohave County supervisors agreed to send a letter of
support Monday to the state legislature to restrict the sale of
over-the-counter drugs that can be made into methamphetamine.

A Bullhead City Council ordinance passed last week restricts the over
the counter sale of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine within the city
limits. Phoenix and Tucson have already passed similar laws to Bullhead City's.

Pseudoephedrine and ephedrine are main ingredients used to make
methamphetamine, the drug that is responsible for many crimes. A city
has the authority in its ordinances to restrict the drugs. However,
counties have to abide by laws enacted by the state legislature.

Without a statewide policy, meth producers can purchase
pseudoephedrine and other drugs from pharmacies outside the city
limits. A state law would make meth more difficult to produce.

Oklahoma passed a similar law, which reduced the number of meth labs
in that state by 70 percent.

Common cold and allergy medications are some of the products that
contain pseudoephedrine and ephedrine.

Meth labs not only manufacture meth but can be highly flammable and
extremely toxic. Fires, explosions and environmental contamination
can occur from meth labs.

Meth labs are found in apartments, houses, motel rooms in residential
or commercial areas and can threaten children, firefighters and
police officers as well as innocent residents.

Under the new Bullhead City law, pseudoephedrine products would be
kept behind a pharmacy's counter and not accessible to the public
without the assistance of a pharmacist.

Any products that are displayed and accessible to the public would be
confiscated by the Bullhead City Police Department.

The pharmacists must also keep a log either by hand or electronically
of all purchases including the name, address and date of birth of the
buyer and the date of the purchase.

A copy of the log would be submitted to the Bullhead City Police
Department each month.

Pseudoephedrine products would not be sold to juveniles.