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November 3, 2009

OBN launches initiative to curb illegal utilization of drug psuedoephedrine

By Cass Rains, Staff Writer

Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics has launched initiatives to curb the illegal use of pseudoephedrine, a cold medicine ingredient often used in the production of methamphetamine.

As of Sunday a birth date will be required, in addition to full name and a state-issued identification number, for purchasing pseudoephedrine at pharmacies.

OBN spokes-man Mark Wood-ward said the birth date requirement will help eliminate sales to people using fake or multiple identification cards to purchase more pseudoephedrine than allowed by state law.

“OBN has also been working with the Department of Public Safety to implement a data-sharing program, allowing the Pseudoephedrine Tracking Program to reject sales from customers using identification cards not currently in the state system,” Woodward said.

While the number of meth labs seized by authorities has declined by more than 90 percent over the past several years, Woodward said some areas of Oklahoma are seeing increases in so-called “shake and bake” or “one-pot” meth labs that use smaller quantities of pseudoephedrine.

Many of these meth cooks use fake or altered identification cards to purchase pseudoephedrine, Woodward says.

OBN Director R. Darrell Weaver said his agency is continually exploring ways to further reduce domestic methamphetamine production.

“OBN is constantly in search of ways to make our processes more effective, and we are very pleased that legislation was passed that will assist us in our battle against methamphetamine manufacturers with very limited intrusion to the general public,” Weaver said. “We must be tireless in our efforts to eliminate the illicit manufacturing of methamphetamine in our state, which translates to lives being saved.”

In 2006, Oklahoma was the first state to begin tracking pseudoephedrine sales electronically in real time.

Woodward said another new feature to the pseudoephedrine tracking system is an upgrade this fall that allows access to the system by all of Oklahoma’s law enforcement community.

He said direct access will speed up the process of tracking, investigating and prosecuting those obtaining pseudoephedrine to manufacture methamphetamine.

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