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Learn more about the dangers of smurfing here

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Stop ‘smurfing’

November 11, 2018, Amelia Arnold, The Bangor Daily News

In the past few weeks, we’ve seen multiple meth lab seizures by Maine law enforcement, including a recent bust in Ellsworth. While meth abuse continues to be a problem in our state, it’s important to recognize the efforts currently underway in Maine to combat the drug’s prevalence and production. This year’s anti-smurfing initiative is a perfect example.

“Smurfing” may sound like a funny term, but in reality, it’s a very serious criminal activity that not only carries harsh legal penalties but plays a role in our state’s substance-use problem. Smurfing happens when meth “cooks” approach pharmacy/retail customers to purchase certain cold and allergy medicines for them, which they then use to make meth. Our lawmakers have put smart laws in place limiting the amount of those medicines people can buy, causing criminals to turn to smurfing. The campaign’s goal is to educate Mainers and prevent upstanding citizens from unwittingly getting themselves into trouble.

Read more here.