Stopping Meth: Is This The Solution?

Franklin County Sheriff's Department Sergeant Jason Grellner has been busting meth labs since 1997.  

As the President of the Missouri Narcotics Association and the Unit Commander of the Franklin County Narcotics Unit, which works in conjunction with the St. Louis County Drug Task Force, he's also been following meth trends and knows where meth hot spots are around Missouri.

He warns St. Louis County residents that meth is moving to their community and, , has shared the numbers he said supports his claim.

"There aren't many crimes we can stop in the end, but meth labs is one we can. And the only reason we haven't is is because the pharmaceutical companies are spending millions of dollars fighting us and the reason they are spending millions is because they are making billions on pseudoephedrine," Grellner tells Town and Country - Manchester Patch.

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Grellner said pseudoephedrine sales have spiked in St. Louis County since surrounding counties, including St. Charles and Jefferson counties, have passed ordinances requiring a prescription to purchase the key meth making ingredient. St. Louis County does not have such an ordinance, although some cities within the county do. Manchester and Town and Country do not have such ordinances and one store that Grellner points out has high pseudoephedrine sales is the , near Weidman Road.

"If they're buying pseudoephedrine there, they are making meth there," Grellner tells Town and Country - Manchester Patch.

Although a March 22 meth lab fire in the basement of a home recently brought the issue of meth to forefront for some residents, and tell Patch that overall they have not had many meth lab related incidents in recent years and have not recently noticed an increase.

"This is the second or third instance of making meth in a number of years. So it's unusual here, but it does happen," Manchester Police Chief Tim Walsh explained.

Town and Country Police Captain Gary Hoelzer tells Patch the City of Town and Country has not had a meth lab incident. Manchester Police Captain Charles Hunn tells Patch his city had the March 22 meth lab explosion and prior to that there was a June, 2010 meth lab incident.

"Both resulted in explosion and fire. Arrests were made in each case," Hunn stated in an email to Patch.

Hunn also said here was another meth lab incident in Manchester in 2006 0r 2007, but that one was a mobile lab in the trunk of a car.

Grellner points out those mobile meth labs are becoming more popular as criminals are creating more "shake and bake" meth labs where they make the drug by simply using a plastic soda or water bottle. So, although police may not be seeing more labs in homes, Grellner is sure meth is moving to St. Louis County.

"West County, South County and North County are going to experience more of that. These people think it's safer to manufacture meth in their moving cars where the cops can't find them, and then they throw the meth lab materials out the window," Grellener explained.

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However, he said there are two current projects in the works that he sees as solutions to the problem. One is House Bill 1952 that would make it state law to require people to have a prescription to purchase the drug pseudoephedrine. 

Hoelzer tells Patch he's not sure what the solution is and that will ultimately be up to lawmakers. He said he only knows what his city has experienced. 

"The biggest thing for us, that took it out of the forefront is when they moved pseudoephedrine behind th counter. Before that, they (criminals) would just come into a pharmacy, take their arm and just sweep all the pseudoephedrine into a bag and go running out of the store. It was a significant ordeal for our road officers," Hoelzer explained. "It's more behind the scenes now. It's there, but we don't encounter it much. It's more with the pharmacist. So from my perspective, that's how it's been in the last few years."

Town and Country Police Chief John Copeland tells Patch he has spoken to local pharmacists about that proposal.

"According to them, it would make their lives easier," Copeland tells Patch.

However, Hunn tells Patch he does not want more restrictions on the general public, at the county or state level, because of criminal activity.

"I don't support either," Hunn stated. "Good people shouldn't have to go through hoops to get effective over the counter drugs because some loser wants to get high."

Grellner said his second solution will eliminate that issue. It's a newly developed product that cannot be converted into meth and House Bill 1952 allows an exemption for this product so patients would not need a prescription.

"Highland Pharmaceuticals has developed a technology that when deployed with the pseudoephedrine, it can be efficacious to the consumer and yet cannot be turned into meth,"  Grellner tells Patch. "You can get the pseudoephedrine you want for your allergies and people just can't make meth out of it."

Grellner said the technology is not yet on the market, but Highland Pharmaceuticals, based in Maryland Heights, already has a major retailer in the St. Louis area interested in carrying the product. Grellner expects it to be available in the next month or two.

"Now if anybody argues against it, it's all about the money,"Grellner tells Patch."Especially when there is a low cost cost alternative."

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