Possible Meth Lab in area?

[thelma]

www.wktv.com/news/local/17059681.html

I'm confused, but also very dumb when it comes to making illegal drugs.

If I'm reading this right, if you buy more than 9 oz of cold or allegery medicine within 30 days, you are violating some law and subject to arrest.

I never heard of this law before. I do know that some of these medicines require your signature before the pharmacy will sell them to you, but I never heard of a restriction on how much you can legally buy within a 30 days period.

What about people that have serious sinsus problems, or prescriptions given by your Doctor for a sinus condition?

I wonder how Law Enforcement put this case together since they all went to various stores to buy this stuff.

[froggy]

I'm sure if one had a medical reason to be buying all those cold pills, it would be explainable and not criminal. But even then, its an awfully lot of cold medicine. Either the person taking that much has some issues or the doctor is over prescribing it.

I can ask my son's mom who works at the pharmacy in Waterville, what they do about recording and reporting the logs for these meds. I wonder if its something that gets inputted into a computer and is entered into a database. From that, someone in law enforcement can monitor this for red flags. I'm willing to bet that is how its done and manage to catch up with these people relatively quickly. I will either see her or talk to her tomorrow when I pick my son up so I will try to find out.

[thelma]

Thanks, Froggy. The last thing we need in this area is a Meth Lab which can explode and possibly kill innocent people. From what I've seen on TV, Meth is highly addictive even after using it just once.

I know I had to buy some medicine for my GD who was having sinus problems at the time, and I had to sign a book at the Walmart pharmacy for the medicine I bought for her. This medicine was kept in the Pharmacy and NOT available for over the counter purchase.

[Ralph]

There has been a number of attempts with Meth in the area on and off for the last 5-6 years or so.

If you think back, you should remember farmers complaining about their fertilizer tanks being stolen out of their fields? Some of those fertilizers are used in Meth production. They did catch one a little bit ago out in Illion or somewhere out that way.

Meth is bad......bad, bad, bad. It makes crack look like penny candy and ruins people in ways you cannot imagine. Not just socially, but physically in ways that crack doesn't, and much quicker too.

When I was with DOJ we were watching this very closely, and from what I understand still are. It is not something we want here at all.

As far as buying products that contain pseudoephedrine or ephedrine; if you go to your pharmacist you will have to sign for it as you found out. If you have a script for above average strength, you have no worries, so if you need it it's no big deal.
But when you buy too much of it, from many different places, you will set off alarm bells.

If you need it it's one thing....you simply go to your regular pharmacy. But you shouldn't need it that often.
And why would you need to go to different pharmacies all over the place to get so much of it?

I am sure if these folks can prove a legitimate reason (i.e. a reasonable excuse from a reputable Doctor) they may get off the hook, if not I am sure the investigation will go much deeper than it is at present.

[thelma]

Thank yoo, Ralph, for explaining all about Meth. You have put it into "layman's" terms that I can understand as my knowledge of drugs is very limited. I have seen Documentary Programs on TV showing just how deadly and addictive Meth is and question why anyone would ever even want to try using such a deadly drug.

It's refreshing to know that Law Enforcement is on top of this and doing everything possible to keep Meth labs out of our area.

No - I don't recall reading about farmers having their fertilizler stolen. I did read someplace where this area is a prime target for these Meth Labs because of us being close to the Thruway and out in the country there is limited Police Officers to investigate any rumors of a drug lab.

I do remember the BIG Drug Lab the Police busted about 5-8 years ago out in the country. I believe it was out near West Winfield or one of those little small towns and it was out in farm country. If my memory serves me right, the neighbors got suspicious as no farming was being done on the "FARM"!

[froggy]

They busted a kid sleeping in his car, somewhere between Richfield Springs and Ilion a few years ago, with a meth lab in his trunk. There's been a few meth labs popping up here and there. Very bad stuff, very flamable and explosive materials they use, not to mention highly toxic.

[dgriffin]

My understanding is that an old, unused upstate farm is considered an ideal location for a larger sort of meth lab. Money from New York will think nothing of paying 2 or 300 thousand dollars for a place near Ilion that is down some country lane and away from prying eyes. That said, for ready cash, some folks cook it up in their kitchen, endangering themselves and their kids. If a lab is suspected, expect the police to cordon off half the neighborhood....it's that explosive.
Production is half the equation, distribution is the other. Hell's Angel's and other cycle groups have been known for years to be "carriers" of meth, criss-crossing the nation with saddle bags loaded with meth. Interestingly, meth is most popular in the mid-west.
Good article at:
www.stopmethaddiction.com/