Pa. House bill to restrict cold medicines

State police have found 117 methamphetamine labs so far this year.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA STAFF
ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. -- The table was filled with everyday household cleaners that seem harmless when used alone, but when mixed together, they produce one of the most addictive drugs available -- methamphetamine.
Pennsylvania State Police set up the table Thursday afternoon in the Ellwood City Municipal Building to illustrate how simple it is to make the drug.
The state troopers were on hand for a hearing of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee called by state Rep. Frank LaGrotta of Ellwood City, D-10th.
LaGrotta has introduced legislation to the state House Judiciary Committee that would make it more difficult for methamphetamine producers to buy the one key ingredient for the drug -- pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, found in medicines for the common cold.
Law enforcement and health officials were on hand to testify in favor of the legislation that would require those cold products to be placed behind pharmacy counters and require buyers to produce photo identification and sign a log when buying the medicine.
State Rep. Stephen Stettler of York County, chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, participated in the hearing with LaGrotta.
"If you take away the flour, they can't make the bread," said Capt. David Young, director of drug law enforcement division for the Pennsylvania State Police, referring to the access to common-cold medicines.
How this would work
Under LaGrotta's legislation, House Bill 2147, a person's ability to buy large quantities of cold medicine in a 30-day period would be restricted.
Detective Capt. Anthony McClure, supervisor of the Beaver County District Attorney's Drug Task Force, said methamphetamine has been labeled the "poor man's cocaine" because its inexpensive to buy from dealers and easy to make.
Law enforcement officials testifying say that 80 percent of the methamphetamines sold in the United States today are produced in Mexico or southern California, but they are finding meth labs popping up in rural areas.
Bradford County in northeastern Pennsylvania, bordering New York, has been labeled "meth valley" by law enforcement officials. More than 31 methamphetamine labs have been shut down in that county so far this year, state police said.
Crawford County, which borders Ohio on the western side of Pennsylvania, had the second-highest rate of methamphetamine labs with more than 16 being shut down, state police said.
Erie, Warren, Forest, Venango and Allegheny counties each had five to 15 meth labs shut down, and Mercer County had two to four so far this year. Lawrence County had one meth lab in 2005, according to police records.
How bad it is
Young said the state police have found 117 labs statewide this year. He said they expect to exceed last year's meth lab count of 128.
"Most of these labs are for personal use and family and friends," said Lt. Paul Destefano, clandestine laboratory response team coordinator for the state police. Destefano said 40 state troopers are part of the unit and they respond to every lab found in the state.
But police said the labs often start out to support a personal habit and then grow to moneymaking operations.
Destefano and Young said labs are often found in rural areas because its easier to hide the smells and waste coming out of them.
McClure said for every pound of methamphetamine made, six pounds of toxic waste are produced. McClure said that waste poses a health hazard for the entire community because meth makers will dump or burn it in their own communities.
Joanne Grossi, deputy secretary for health promotion and disease prevention at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said regular use of methamphetamines changes a person's brain chemistry and causes symptoms similar to Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease.
Other risks
Users are also at risk for heart damage, skin abscesses, tooth and bone loss and other health problems, she said.
Dr. Neil Capretto, medical director of Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Beaver County, said methamphetamines are highly addictive after only one use and cause conditions such as paranoia, delusions and confusion.
Dr. Capretto said the illegal drug is more potent than cocaine, offering an eight- to 24-hour high as opposed to a 20- to 30-minute cocaine high.
Thirty-seven states have enacted legislation similar to what LaGrotta has proposed in Pennsylvania. Ohio also is considering similar legislation, he added.
LaGrotta asked all attending the hearing to contact leaders of the state judiciary committee, which is controlled by the Republican Party, to get his bill out of committee and on the House floor for a vote.
"I'm afraid. If it's cheaper than cocaine and has more of an impact than cocaine and can be made in the back of a trailer of somebody's hunting lodge, then it's a dangerous problem," LaGrotta said.
cioffi@vindy.com