Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(NORTH VERNON, IN) - Jennings County Prosecutor Alan Marshall is approaching the county’s meth problem with a new, bold approach.
Under a proposal, cold medicines containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine could only be dispersed with a doctor's prescription.
He says previous efforts to curb meth use and production briefly worked when certain cold relief products were moved from the medicine aisle to behind the counter, but it has climbed up steadily since.
While there is no state law on the books, Marshall says the individual counties have the autonomy to take such measures on there own.
He says a similar measure is the law of the land in the state of Oregon.
He says meth labs there have decreased from several hundred per year to just a handful in the past year.
Marshall is hopeful for a similar result in Jennings County.
Marshall acknowledges that the measure may seem extreme to consumers who use the products correctly.
However, he says something must be done because "lives and families are being destroyed."
Marshall says methamphetamine use in Jennings County is at an all time high and is occurring with younger people, some as young as 15.
A second reading before county commissioners will take place on February 8th.
North Vernon City Council has their second reading scheduled for January 25th.
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