N.H. tries to head off meth problems (New Hampshire)

By BOB AUDETTE, Reformer Staff

BRATTLEBORO -- Cold and flu season may be behind us, but area residents may be shocked to learn that soon they will have to sign a logbook to combat a runny nose.
Last month, when the federal government reauthorized the USA Patriot Act, it added a provision that governs the retail sale of all cough and cold products that contain chemicals -- called precursors -- that are often used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine.

In New Hampshire, a bill with provisions similar to those in the Patriot Act, was defeated in the Legislature. The bill would have allowed local police officers enforce the state's version of the regulations.

"The feds do not have New Hampshire as their top priority in prosecuting these cases," said Deb Hogancamp, R-Chesterfield, who, as co-chair of the Legislative Caucus on Methamphetamine, has sponsored a handful of bills aimed to head off meth production in her state.

"We've studied the problem that other states have had, from California to across the country," said Hogancamp. "They had to learn all of this by watching their kids who were wasting away and seeing their homes and lands become contaminated."

Hogancamp said letting the federal government deal with the problem under the auspices of the Patriot Act would be easier and cheaper for New Hampshire, but having its own set of laws on the books would allow it to prosecute its own crimes at its own pace.

Hogancamp's legislation is partly driven by the fact that in 18 months, 18 meth labs were busted in New England, 12 of them in New Hampshire.

"Our communities are having to deal with a problem that can become quite harmful, not only to drug takers and manufacturers but also to those living nearby," said Hogancamp.

House Bill 1713, which Hogancamp sponsored, would have restricted the over-the-counter sales of medicines containing precursors.

Rep. Henry Parkhurst, D-Winchester, said the bill failed because legislators were concerned about the financial impact of such legislation on the state and its consumers. He added that there was also some confusion on who would administer the program, but said some sort of legislation is required.

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