Early estimates for 2013 predict that Tennessee will surpass Missouri in total methamphetamine lab incidents.
Missouri has consistently led the nation in methamphetamine use. But the Tennessean newspaper reports that Tennessee could surpass Missouri, and that Indiana could take the lead.
Missouri law enforcement officials say there’s been a 68% drop in meth labs in southeastern Missouri in the last two years because of new laws that make pseudoephedrine available only to those who have a prescription.
Tennessee law currently requires consumers to show identification before buying the drug, and purchases are tracked using the National Precursor Log Exchange (nPlex), a database linking pharmacies and tracking pseudoephedrine sales. In January, Tennessee state auditors reported no meaningful reduction in meth use or lab incidents because of participation in the nPlex system.
A measure from Governor Bill Haslam would cut monthly limits on pseudoephedrine to 4.8 grams without a prescription. Currently, individuals can't buy more than 3.6 grams per day or 9 grams per month.
