Lawmakers and police have high hopes for a law that went into effect yesterday, designed to make it more difficult for traffickers to make methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice.” At least 40 other states have adopted a version of the
Lawmakers and police have high hopes for a law that went into effect yesterday, designed to make it more difficult for traffickers to make methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice.”
At least 40 other states have adopted a version of the law, which is designed to combat methamphetamine labs by putting certain decongestants behind the counter. The decongestants containing pseudoephedrine can be “cooked” with other chemicals to create ice.
The law lessens the amount of pseudoephedrine that a resident can buy without a prescription to 3.6 grams per day. It also requires residents buying the drug show identification and sign for it.
The law was signed June 5 by Lt. Gov. James Aiona Jr., but retailers and pharmacists had until yesterday to adopt the requirements, including reconfiguring store displays and training employees.
Pseudoephedrine is a common ingredient in several cold medicines, including Advil Cold & Sinus. In 2004, Pfizer made plans to remove the ingredient from Sudafed PE, by replacing it with phenylephrine.
Per capita, Hawai‘i has the highest population of ice users in the country, according to an October Drug Enforcement Agency report.
Last year, 11 methamphetamine lab incidents were reported statewide, down from 11 in 2004, but up from five in 2003. There were 116 methamphetamine-related arrests statewide last year, up from 76 in 2004, but down from 153 in 2003, the report states.
Ice users have a higher tendency to commit property and violent crimes, including domestic abuse and child neglect. The drug also is hazardous to create, as it can be explosive.
Acting Police Chief Clayton Arinaga would not comment on the issue. The Kaua‘i Police Department could not provide statistics on the number of ice-related arrests last year or the year prior.
• Amanda C. Gregg, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.com.
