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Time To Review Drug Emphasis
Montgomery Advertiser | 07/13/2005

If a majority of local law enforcement officials say methamphetamine is the biggest illegal drug problem they face, why is the national drug use prevention effort focused most on marijuana? That seems a dangerous disconnect between policy and reality that has serious implications for law enforcement and the safety of the public.

A new survey conducted by the National Association of Counties polled law enforcement agencies in 500 counties in 45 states. Fifty-eight percent of those agencies ranked methamphetamine as their worst illegal drug problem. Less than 20 percent ranked marijuana first.

The survey found that 70 percent of the law enforcement agencies said methamphetamine use was driving up the number of burglaries and robberies. It was deemed the top illegal drug problem in every region of the country except the Northeast.

Alabama officials are all too familiar with the problems of methamphetamine. A new law aimed at limiting access to a basic ingredient used to make methamphetamine took effect this month, and law enforcement officials are hopeful that it will slow the spread of the drug by making its production more difficult.

The drug may be easily made with readily obtainable items, particularly cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, which any pharmacy or grocery store sells.

The new law limits the amount of such medications an individual may purchase and requires that these medications not be kept on open shelves. Purchasers must sign and present identification for the products.

Federal official defend the emphasis on marijuana by noting that it is the most commonly used illegal drug. That's true. However, its use -- although certainly a concern -- does not routinely lead to the kinds of problems that methamphetamine use does.

"We do have to keep all drug threats in context, which means you can't ignore marijuana," said David Murray, a policy analyst for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

No one's suggesting that, but a review of policies in light of the growing methamphetamine epidemic would be in order.

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