In January the state moved toward a computerized tracking system for the sale of Pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in the manufacturing of methamphetamine.
Many lawmakers praised the move, saying it would help law enforcement in their fight against meth, but it did the exact opposite.
According to an Indiana State Police report over the first three months of 2012, there were 264 meth labs found statewide, which is a 20 percent increase over the same period of 2011.
In 2011 there were more than 1,400 labs found in Indiana statewide, a record high for law enforcement.
Indiana State Representative for District 22 Rebecca Kubacki has seen the numbers and is not happy.
“The tracking system tells us what we already know,” Kubacki said. “It tells us who’s buying Pseudoephedrine, but it does not help us anymore than before.”
Kubacki went on to say that meth addicts and cooks get around the new tracking system by recruiting “smurfs,” or a group of people who they pay to buy Pseudoephedrine for them.
“Many times they find kids offer them cash or drugs to get them packs of Sudafed,” Kubacki said. “If we could just make the drug a prescription medicine then we could fight the epidemic. We just need to stop kids from getting their first taste of meth. If we can do that with just one kid we are winning this battle.”
Kubacki brought up the idea of making Pseudoephedrine a prescription drug at the state house last year. Instead of making the idea a law, the state legislator took another person’s idea of tracking the sale of Pseudoephedrine.
“We heard from nearly 300 people who have been affected by meth and how it changed their lives.” Kubacki said. “I have had a prisoner write me and ask that it be a scheduled drug so it was not as easy to get a hold of. The frustrating part is that after all those people spoke out against meth, the pharmaceutical company and the tracking software company spoke and they won the argument.”
In 2006 Oregon made Pseudoephedrine a scheduled drug and to purchase it one needs a prescription. Since the law was enacted, Oregon has seen a steady decrease in meth labs found.
According to oregondec.com, in 2005 there were 192 meth labs found statewide, but in 2006 there were 63, and in 2007 there were 20. In 2011, there were nine meth labs found in Oregon, which represents a 95 percent decline in the number of meth labs found from 2006 and 2011.
“What I don’t get is, what more do you need than the facts?” Kubacki asked. “The information is clear: If you do this meth cases go down. You cannot justify it will cost me $80 a prescription. The money the taxpayers spend on the cleanup of meth and detoxication of meth users far exceeds the cost of a prescription.”
Nationwide, the cost of cleanup for meth users is between $16 billion and $48 billion annually.
Kubacki said she still gets calls from people telling her to not give up her fight against meth.
“Each and every day I am gaining more traction for a bill that would make Pseudoephedrine a prescription drug,” Kubacki said. “I got a call the other day from a representative where meth is becoming a problem in his district. There are also other areas that meth is becoming a problem, like Fort Wayne. I think we are getting closer to making it a prescription drug.”
Kubacki added that a lot of the senior legislators are changing their mind on the topic.
“More old legislators are jumping on board and this is a part of my campaign,” Kubacki said. “What it takes is putting pressure on your legislators to change the laws.”
Kubacki is not the only person who has noticed that the tracking system has not had a significant effect on slowing down the number of meth labs found. The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department hasn’t found the system to be as helpful as relying on leads, tips and old-fashioned police work.
“It’s not as instrumental as it was forecasted to be,” said Public Information Officer Sgt. Chad Hill. “Our detectives use the system periodically if they are checking up on some leads or information if they have a case involving meth, but it lacks a lot.”
Hill said the detectives use the system once a week or so to aid them in their investigations.
“The detectives say it has a lot of potential, but not everyone is getting all of the data they need to make it effective,” Hill said. “It has some benefits, but it is still in its infancy.”
So far statewide the Indiana State Police said that the tracking system has stopped the sale of some 30,000 boxes of Pseudoephedrine because of limit requirements.
For now the fight is still ongoing.
“I’m not going to drop this. I know what it is doing to families,” said Kubacki.
