Meth Ingredient Sales Down

A national exchange that tracks sales of certain over the counter medications says new state laws have reduced so-called meth ingredient sales. Michigan and two dozen other states have been using a new system that tracks the sales of cold medicines that include pseudephedrine and ephedrine, key ingredients for the manufacture of illegal methamphetamine. It’s called the National Precursor Log Exchange, and it says fewer grams of the ingredients were bought between January and July of this year in Michigan. The Gongwer News Service reports that in Michigan, 7.2% percent fewer boxes of the medications were purchased between January and July, with nearly 7.2% fewer unique purchasers buying the meth-making products. The reduction in those sales is being tied to new laws that make it a felony to buy or possess the ingredients knowing it will be used for making meth. Lawmakers also recently approved a bill making it a felony to solicit another person to buy medicines for meth manufacturing.