Minnesota Passes Leading Anti-Meth Initiatives
By Claire Robling
June 9, 2005
This past legislative session was a very successful one in the area of public safety. I was pleased that we were able to come to an agreement on a ground breaking initiative that not only creates tougher penalties for sex offenders, but also makes Minnesota a national leader in cracking down on the growing methamphetamine epidemic in our state.
While manufacturing and use of meth was formerly more prevalent in rural areas, it has quickly spread across the state, extending from greater Minnesota communities into our suburbs and inner cities.
The methamphetamine initiative in our final agreement, which was recently signed into law by the Governor, included an increase in penalties for those who attempt to manufacture meth, and even goes further for those who manufacture while in the presence of a child or vulnerable adult. Both of these penalties are now considered felonies and will amount to significant time behind bars.
Our public safety bill also creates a new law that limits the amount of meth precursor drugs that can be purchased in a single sale to two packages and places these drugs behind a pharmacy counter. To purchase these drugs you must be at least eighteen years of age, sign a log, and show a picture ID. Consumers can now only buy six grams or less within a 30 day period. Those who knowingly violate these restrictions will be subject to time in jail along with a possible fine.
The over the counter drugs you’ll now have to get behind the counter include tablets that contain psuedoephedrine or ephedrine. This includes cold and allergy remedies such as Sudafed, which is a mandatory ingredient to cook meth.
Consumers should remember that this bill doesn’t place every product behind the counter. It simply targets the tablet form which is used for meth production. The same medicine sold in liquid, gel cap, or powder form can still be purchased over the counter because they are not used to produce meth.
Other initiatives that were approved in the final agreement regarding methamphetamine included:
· Creating a new crime that is punishable by felony penalties when any amount of anhydrous ammonia is stolen or transferred to manufacture meth.
· Requiring the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine to study and issue a report on animal products that may be used to manufacture methamphetamine.
· Requiring a child’s school to be notified if a child is taken into protective custody after being found in an area where methamphetamine was being manufactured.
Meth use has been known to cause serious health problems, such as hallucinations, paranoia, rapid weight loss, loss of teeth and hair, and damage to vital organs, such and the kidneys and lungs. Meth can also cause long-term health problems such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and death.
The effects of meth in our communities and our state have been extremely alarming. Our prisons are beginning to fill up, causing costs to skyrocket due to the high number of people being detained for meth use. The local police and sheriff departments are also being overwhelmed with an increase in meth production and importation. Scott County recently had its first reported death related to meth use about a mile from my home in rural Spring Lake Township. Like me, Scott County officials are very concerned about this growing epidemic, which Scott County Attorney Pat Ciliberto calls “a scourge” upon our communities.
One of the greatest tragedies in the meth crisis are the children who are being affected by this epidemic. Children raised in meth houses are vulnerable to the drug’s effects and are often endangered and neglected by addicted parents. Babies who are born to women that use meth during pregnancy are at a high risk for birth defects, organ damage, and other complications.
While these new laws may not completely and immediately solve our meth problems, we are confident that this nation leading package will curb and hopefully rid Minnesota of its methamphetamine epidemic. But we need your help. Talk to your children about the dangers of this highly addictive drug; watch (and smell) for signs that a meth lab may be producing this illegal drug and report it to local authorities; seek and encourage treatment for those who are addicted; and never try it yourself. Reportedly, the woman who died in Spring Lake Township was a first-time user, and many other users report they craved more meth and became addicted after one use. This drug ruins lives and creates a tremendous burden on communities. Let’s not let it take root here.
State Senator Claire Robling represents Senate District 35. She can be reached at (651) 296-4123 or at sen.claire.robling@senate.mn
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