Key meth ingredient is pulled from shelves

In 1997, Wal-Mart voluntarily limited sales of certain cough and cold medicines.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Effective today, Ohio's meth cooks shopping for the key ingredient won't find it on store shelves.
Ohio joins roughly 30 other states requiring that cough and cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, needed for the manufacture of methamphetamine, be placed behind the counter. Meth is a highly addictive synthetic stimulant made in clandestine labs.
To curb production of meth, the purchase of products such as Sudafed are limited by Ohio's new law to 9 grams (three 24-tablet packages, for example) within a 30-day period. Consumers must be 18, and retailers must keep log books tracking sales.
Violators of the state law face misdemeanor charges. The law does not apply to pseudoephedrine products dispensed by a pharmacist pursuant to a prescription that complies with controlled-substances restrictions.
"Those who seek to manufacture methamphetamine will no longer be able to walk into a store and clean all of the pseudoephedrine products off the shelves," said Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro. "While this law will not eliminate meth production and use in Ohio, I certainly expect it to have a significant impact."
Here's the situation
Petro's office reported that 429 meth labs were discovered in Ohio in 2005, the most in the state in a single year.
On April 8, a federal law went into effect that restricts the sales of pseudoephedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine. On Sept. 30, the second phase of the law requires that the products be placed behind the counter, a photo ID be shown and a logbook kept of transactions.
A month ago, Dick's McGuffey Pharmacy on North Garland Avenue set up a behind-the-counter display of 20-plus cough and cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine.
Owner Dick Petrilla, who's been in business 18 years, said it's not just pharmacies affected by the new federal and state laws, but other retail outlets such as gas stations, grocery and convenience stores that sell the products used to make meth. He said the synthetic drug is more addictive than heroin.
The new state law means shoppers at Giant Eagle in Cornersburg, for example, won't find Sudafed for sale at all because the store has no pharmacy and therefore no counter to put such products behind. A sign on a store shelf tells shoppers that "due to recent legislation" the store will no longer sell Sudafed tablets and capsules.
For roughly six years, Wal-Mart has been ahead of the law, spokesman Kevin Gardner said Tuesday from his office at the retail giant's headquarters in Arkansas. In 1997, Wal-Mart voluntarily limited the sale of cold and cough medicines that contain pseudoephedrine and its cash registers had a prompt to flag sales.
"We're a responsible retailer ahead of the curve," Gardner said. "We heard from community leaders in 1997 and educated our associates and legislators."
Gardner said Wal-Mart stores now have pseudoephedrine products behind the counter and keep an electronic log of sales.
meade@vindy.com