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Officials Say AL Has ‘Remarkable’ Success In Fighting Meth-Making

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) –

The National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators said Alabama’s real-time pseudoephedrine blocking system is proving a major tool in the crackdown on methamphetamine manufacturing.

The system, called the National Precursor Log Exchange, or NPLEx, automatically blocks unlawful pseudoephedrine (PSE) sales and helps law enforcement officials track down meth offenders and make arrests.

Data released by NPLEx shows electronic technology in Alabama blocked the sale of more than 44,953 boxes of medication containing PSE between January and July 2014. More than 110,896 grams of the ingredient were thereby prevented from potentially being diverted by meth criminals.

Compared to the same period in 2013, Alabama sold 15.59 percent fewer boxes of PSE and reduced the number of individual purchasers by 12.95 percent.

"Alabama has achieved remarkable success in the fight against meth production thanks to comprehensive anti-meth legislation passed in recent years," said NADDI Executive Director Charles F. Cichon. "By blocking illegal purchases of medicine containing PSE, NPLEx helps stop the production of meth by preventing meth cooks from getting the ingredients they need. This works in concert with the state’s recently passed drug offender block list, which prevents convicted drug criminals from purchasing any medicines containing PSE."

Cichon called Alabama a model for states seeking to be tough on meth criminals while maintaining access to PSE for law-abiding citizens. He said Alabama has reported a dramatic decrease in the number of meth lab incidents statewide.

Law enforcement officials said that while state laws and the electronic system make it harder to make meth, more of the finished product is coming in from Mexico because demand for the drug is still high.

However, the overall fight against meth making and use on the homefront is still ongoing. Meth labs can explode, and the chemicals used to make the drug are dangerous. It costs a lot of time and money for local agencies to decontaminate people and homes where labs are found.

Ultimately, if we continue to see the decline in meth-making, that should reduce those costs over time.