Government Technology - December 2008 - (Page 44)

justice j j Synopsis: A look at Arkansas’ electronic logbook system for tracking methamphetamines. S TAT E | L O C A L | F E D E R A L Halting B Y C H A D V A N D E R V E E N | A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R Arkansas deploys an electronic logbook to monitor and prevent the manufacture of deadly methamphetamines. Agency: Arkansas Crime Information Center. Technology: LeadsOnlabs electronic log books. Contact: Bill Clinton, operations administrator, ACIC, 501/682-2222, www.acic.org. Meth Abuse W hatever your opinion is on the so-called war on drugs, it’s hard to ignore the devastating effects addictive drugs have on abusers. One of the most popular and destructive drugs abused today is methamphetamine, a.k.a. “meth.” The explanation for high levels of meth usage is the same for its severe consequences — the toxic ingredients to make it are readily available at grocery and drugstores. Meth is a potent stimulant and a sympathomimetic drug (i.e., it simulates the sympathetic nervous system) that increases users’ alertness and mimics the effects of naturally occurring hormones, like adrenaline and dopamine. But there are side effects, like “hyperthermia, convulsions, brain aneurysms, strokes, arrhythmia, severe dental problems, and — after prolonged use — collapse of the cardiovascular system,” according to a National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) July 2008 report, The Relationship between State Methamphetamine Precursor Laws and Trends in Small Toxic Lab (STL) Seizures. Other side effects include a ghastly condition nicknamed “meth mouth,” in which the teeth and gums rapidly decay. Long-term users also can be startlingly gaunt and prone to extreme violence and promiscuity. Developed from ephedrine in Germany in 1887, meth was used to treat many ailments, such as narcolepsy, asthma and obesity. It’s a toxic cocktail of precursors, many of which were available until recently on store shelves. The most common precursors are ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, the latter an active ingredient in cold remedies like Sudafed. To combat meth production, most states passed legislation moving products containing these precursors off the shelf. In most cases, customers now get the medication by asking a pharmacist, who dispenses the product in limited quantities. Still, meth producers avoid this restriction by visiting multiple pharmacies — meaning meth production is only temporarily slowed. However, some states, like Arkansas, deployed electronic logbooks to keep better tabs on who is buying precursors and in what quantities. These logbooks electronically link pharmacies in order to halt purchasing of small amounts of precursors from several retailers. Stopping Meth In the last decade, meth has become a more difficult problem in Arkansas. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “Not only does the state’s rural landscape provide an ideal setting for illicit manufacturing, but DEC_08 the wide availability of precursor chemicals also contributes to the ease of manufacturing methamphetamine.” Meth is typically manufactured in makeshift labs that are little more than homes or remote hideaways. A meth lab has an assortment of hazardous chemicals mixed and matched by amateur chemists. The chemical concoctions are apt to catch fire and explode. To combat this double threat of meth usage and manufacturing danger, the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) sought a way to keep digital logs of the sale of precursors so that pharmacies would know whether a person trying to buy specific medications had been shopping at other drugstores in the state. In 2007, the Legislature passed Act 508, which required ACIC to create a real-time statewide electronic logbook for all pharma- 44 http://www.acic.org http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - December 2008

Government Technology - December 2008 Contents Point of View Four Questions for... On the Scene Big Picture Year in Review Who Controls Your Network? Paper Makes a Comeback Halting Meth Abuse Spectrum Up Close signal:noise Digital Communities Contents Becoming a Digital Community Rethinking 700 MHz Smart Grids: Powering the Future Gearing Up for Crime 2.0 Software Predicts Crime Local Portals on the Red Carpet More Than Just a Pretty Face

Government Technology - December 2008

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