More than almost any other state, Indiana has been deeply impacted by the effects of methamphetamine. The drug has ruined thousands of lives, but we are finally starting to see a decline in meth labs across our state. Methamphetamine use is still prevalent, but the progress in the fight against it can be attributed in large part to the incredible effort made by our dedicated law enforcement officials.
Keeping such a powerful drug off the streets can be an extremely violent job, even deadly. For this reason, I am happy to know that Indiana is one of 33 states using the National Precursor Log Exchange, a system used to track, monitor and oversee the sale of cold and allergy medicines containing pseudoephedrine, an ingredient criminals use in meth production. NPLEx provides the police with lists of individuals who attempted to make suspicious purchases, giving them a valuable lead on who to investigate and arrest, thereby reducing meth production without restricting access to cold and allergy medicines for law-abiding citizens who need them.
With this week being National Police Week, we are encouraged to show our gratitude to our law enforcement officials for the job they do to stop the spread of meth – in fact, it is in part because of their hard work that meth labs have declined over 30 percent in 2016 compared to 2015. While there is still work to be done to help curb the importation of the drug and ensure those addicted receive the resources they need, be sure to commend any officers you see throughout the week for their efforts thus far. I know I will.
