'METH WATCH' SEEKS PUBLIC'S EYES

Program Invites Help Of Residents, Retailers In Prevention Campaign

With winter comes the cold and flu season, and what could be the
perfect time to recruit northeast Indiana residents to a new program
called Meth Watch.

State and local police officials, and the Drug & Alcohol Consortium
of Allen County, announced plans Monday to distribute 400 kits
retailers can use to explain their participation in the
drug-prevention campaign and invite public participation.

A news conference was held at an Illinois Road Lassus Bros. BP
convenience store because the chain had "reached out to us to ask
what they could do with drug-prevention efforts," said Jerri Lerch,
executive director for the consortium. "Other retailers have been
very supportive as well."

It's good timing, because awareness among consumers will be critical
as they encounter new purchasing requirements for decongestants this winter.

Because some over-the-counter drugs can be used to make
methamphetamine, a law that took effect July 1 requires retailers to
keep medications containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine behind a
counter, in a locked case or directly in front of a pharmacy counter
with video surveillance.

Under the new law, customers must provide a state or federal
identification card and sign an Indiana State Police log certified by
a clerk to buy a decongestant. Consumers may buy no more than 3 grams
of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine at a time and no more than 3 grams in
seven days.

A typical adult-strength tablet contains 30 milligrams of ephedrine
or pseudoephedrine, so 100 tablets would be the legal limit. Common
brand names include Sudafed and Afrin. The Lassus store, which now
keeps the cold and allergy medicine in a plastic stand accessible
only to employees working the cash register, limits customers to no
more than two packages of cold medicine per purchase.

Buying the medicine requires an extra "minute or two, because you've
got to look at their ID, and they write down all kinds of stuff:
their name, address, ID number and how much they buy," said Lassus
clerk Chris Busse. But customers get used to the new routine quickly, he said.

The kits police are distributing to retailers include a Meth Watch
label to be posted on the front door of the business, information on
the program, report forms, brochures, an employee training video,
posters exhibiting shelf products that may be used in meth production
and shelf tags retailers can use with those items.

Niki Crawford, a sergeant with the State Police meth suppression
unit, said the posters will acquaint people with meth manufacturing
ingredients beyond cold and allergy medicine. Those include lithium
batteries, acetone, starter fluid, drain cleaner, rock or table salt,
lye, matchbooks, rubbing alcohol, iodine, camping fuel and gasoline additives.

No one is required to report unusual purchases of these other items,
but "we're more than happy to take these tips," Crawford said.

A retailer could request identification for the purchase, or make a
note of the buyer's license plate and phone it in to police, she said.

Meth Watch is important, because "meth has become a bigger problem in
Indiana than cocaine," Crawford said. Last year, authorities
discovered more than 1,500 illegal meth labs in the state. Meth
awareness for retailers

What: A meeting to acquaint retailers with the Meth Watch
drug-prevention campaign and distribute kits to help them educate the
public about it

When: 2-2:30 p.m. Friday; includes a 10-minute video and 20-minute
question-and-

answer session

Where: Fort Wayne Police Department Community Room, 1320 E. Creighton
Ave. email this print this reprint or license this