New meth law a good idea (5/12/05)

Almost lost amid all the debate of state revenues, the Colts stadium, and time zones was a solid accomplishment by the Indiana General Assembly, taking sensible steps to make it harder to manufacture methamphetamine.

Gov. Mitch Daniels rightly noted that two most dangerous trends facing Indiana today are the erosion of manufacturing jobs and the rise of the meth culture, destroying lives and homes in even the most pastoral settings.

No county in Indiana or Ohio has escaped the methamphetamine scourge. And the new law signed by the governor on Tuesday won’t make that scourge go away.

But it will make it more difficult to make the stuff.

One of the common ingredients for meth production — ephedrine or pseudoephedrine — can be found in over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines. No more. When the new law takes effect July 1, those medicines will be much more tightly controlled. They’ll either be under the control of a pharmacist or behind the counter, perhaps in a locked case.

In addition, there will be limits on how much of the medicine a person can buy each week, identification will be required, and logbooks will be maintained.

Does that amount to a restriction on individual freedom or a complication for businesses selling the product? Sure.

But the restrictions are minor and the complications justifiable when measured against the enormity of the problem. — J.R.

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