New legislation tougher on meth lab production

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New legislation tougher on meth lab production

County News

Friday, 06 August 2010 12:07

By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist ceremoniously signed legislation July 27 that makes it harder for individuals to purchase over-the-counter medication in order to set up methamphetamine labs.
As per the law, which became effective July 1, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will create a database by Jan. 1 that will monitor the sale of the medicines and block purchases that exceed the legal amount of nine grams, which is the equivalent of three bottles, in a 30-day period.

The database will hinder people from buying medication at several stores to create meth, a highly addictive sedative often cooked in makeshift home laboratories using chemicals found in over-the-counter cold medicine.
"If it works that way, it's going to have a great impact on meth labs," Agent Claude Campbell, of the St. Cloud Police Department, said.
Campbell said he currently uses electronic logbook systems that individual pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, keep to track sales.
Bruce Grant, director of the Florida Office of Drug Control, said identification will be swiped into the real-time electronic logbook and give pharmacists a record of what that person purchases. Pharmacists cannot delete any entries and face felony charges if they violate the law by selling the medications to people who have reached their limit.
Over-the-counter cold medication has been kept behind pharmacy counters since 2005 in an effort to thwart meth production, however, no system was in place to keep individuals from purchasing the medicine at several locations.
Heather Smith, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement public information officer, said the database would be accessible by local law enforcement to check for sale patterns and other uses.
Up to 80 percent of meth used in Florida is imported from other countries, Grant said, and the making of meth is not a problem in every county.
While Osceola County has not been exempt from meth houses, in recent years the numbers have declined. According to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, 15 meth houses were busted in 2009 and since January, eight have been busted, including one that exploded at a Kissimmee hotel, causing second- and third- degree burns to those in the room.
The Sheriff's Office handles all meth labs found throughout the county as detectives have specialized training to handle the equipment and dismantle the labs.
“I fully support this new legislation because it will assist in efforts to combat this all-consuming drug,” Osceola County Sheriff Bob Hansell said. “We at the Sheriff's Office have made and will continue to make the fight against methamphetamine a top priority.”