Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt’s Tough Anti-Meth Law Helps Reduce Meth Labs by 40 Percent
JEFFERSON CITY–A new report by the Missouri State Highway Patrol shows a 40 percent decrease in meth labs since Gov. Matt Blunt enacted tough anti-meth legislation less than two years ago. Figures from the Missouri State Highway Patrol show there were 1,200 fewer meth lab incidents last year than in 2005 when Blunt enacted legislation restricting the materials used to make meth.
“Our state’s tough anti-meth legislation is making a big difference in our battle to combat meth and eliminate dangerous lab operations across the state,” Blunt said. “I congratulate Missouri law enforcement for their monumental efforts to protect our communities from the scourge of meth. We need to continue fighting to keep meth away from our children and out of our neighborhoods by putting meth labs out of business.”
“Governor Blunt’s tough stance on fighting meth led to the most progress made in history to rid our communities of this epidemic,” said Colonel James Keathley, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. “Closing the source on harmful ingredients used to produce meth has proven to be a wise step in curtailing meth activity.”
During 2006, law enforcement officials throughout the state responded to, seized or investigated 1,284 laboratory incidents, which included chemical/equipment/glassware seizures, dumpsites and operational laboratories. To compare, in 2005, there were 2,252 meth lab incidents.
To stop access to the materials used to make meth, Blunt signed tough anti-meth legislation in June 2005, which restricts the sales of products containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine and relocates them behind pharmacy counters. Since the effective date of the anti-meth legislation on July 14, 2005, Missouri has experienced a substantial decrease of 40 percent of meth incidents statewide.
Individuals are also now required to show photo identification before purchasing products containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine and are limited to how much of the products they can purchase each month. Under the legislation pharmacies are required to maintain purchase logs and make them available for inspection to law enforcement officers.
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