STATEHOUSE (Jan. 20, 2016) —State Sen. R. Michael Young’s (R–Indianapolis) bill to combat meth use in Indiana recently passed the Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law.
Senate Bill 161 is aimed at preventing individuals convicted of meth and drug felonies from purchasing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, two ingredients commonly used to make meth. The bill would require courts to report drug-related felony convictions to Indiana State Police, who would then upload the felonies to the National Precursor Log Exchange to generate a stop-sale alert. Young noted that meth and drug felons would be required to get a prescription to obtain ephedrine and pseudoephedrine products.
“This bill is a step in the right direction to combat the meth problem in our state,” Young said. “It’s important to stop criminals from purchasing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, curbing meth production in our communities and protecting Hoosier families’ access to the medicine they need.”
Oklahoma passed a similar measure in 2012. Since then, there has been an 88-percent reduction in meth labs.
Young said the bill is designed to prevent so-called “smurfs” from purchasing medicines like Sudafed for meth producers while still allowing law-abiding citizens to purchase the medicine they need.
“I want to send a message to the people making these drugs that we’re coming after you,” he said. “The ones who break the laws are the ones who will pay the penalties. This bill doesn’t go after the honest, law-abiding citizens – it goes after the people who are feeding Indiana’s meth labs.”
The bill now moves to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for further consideration.
