Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2005)
| Oregon update | State meth lab seizures cut in half BY BRAD CAIN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SALEM — Citing a reduction in meth lab seizures, Gov. Ted Kulon goski urged the state Board of Phar macy to approve permanent rules to keep certain cold medicines away from methamphetamine cooks. At Kulongoski’s request, the board passed temporary rules last October to tighten consumer access to cold pills that can be used to make meth. Appearing before the board Mon day, Kulongoski said the rules appear to have brought about a 50 percent reduction in the number of small meth labs around Oregon. He cited Oregon State Police fig ures showing that the number of meth lab busts has declined from an average of 40 a month prior to adop tion of the rule to about 20 a month since then. That mirrors a reduction in meth lab seizures reported by police in Ok lahoma, the first state to adopt the re striction on cold medicine sales, Ku longoski noted. “It means our neighborhoods have less toxic waste littering our streets and streams,” he said. “And most im portantly, it means we have fewer children being exposed to the pro duction of this poisonous drug.” Under the temporary rules adopt ed in October, consumers must show picture identification to purchase cold medications containing pseu doephedrine, a key ingredient for cooking methamphetamine. Kulongoski on Monday urged the board to adopt permanent rules to re quire pharmacists to collect the iden tities of those who purchase solid forms of pseudoephedrine and enter the information into an electronic database. The board is scheduled to vote on the change today. Keeping a log of customers who purchase the cold medications will help law enforcement agencies “iden tify suspicious behavior, such as pur chasing pseudoephedrine products in amounts that far exceed the need of a citizen with a common cold or al lergies,” Kulongoski said. However, a representative of chain drug stores expressed doubt about that proposed requirement, saying it’s not clear how that information will be used to fight meth. The proposed requirement con tains no provision for the information on those customer logs to be checked by law enforcement authorities or shared by the various stores. “So basically, it’s an unfunded mandate on the stores and compa nies to do nothing but keep a lot of paperwork that never gets looked at,” said Lis Houchen of the National As sociation of Chain Drug Stores. Kulongoski said he realizes the re quirement will create additional ex pense and work for the stores. “This epidemic is so serious that everybody has to participate in find ing a solution to it,” he said. “All I’m asking the industry to do is to step up and do their part.” The permanent rule that’s being considered by the board also will require that all solid forms of pseudoephedrine be moved behind the counter and sold by pharma cists. Liquid forms of pseu doephedrine remain unrestricted because criminals can’t use those products to produce meth, police officials said. Kulongoski said the rule strikes a proper balance between keeping cold and allergy medications available for legitimate use versus imposing some restrictions on them to keep them out of the hands of meth cooks. Treating more for meth abuse Treatment admissions for people using meth soared in the 1990s. Methamphetamine/ amphetamine admissions per 100,000 population ages 12 and older 60 SOURCE: Substance Abuse and AP Mental Health Services Administration PATRIOT Act utilized in Mayfield search BY RUKMINICALL1MACHI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PORTLAND — Since last May, when the FBI admitted it had wrong ly arrested Portland lawyer Brandon Mayfield following the Madrid train bombings, the Muslim convert has contended that the PATRIOT Act was used to gain secret entry into his home and gather personal material that was used to portray him as a Muslim militant. The Justice Department has previ ously denied using the PATRIOT Act in the Mayfield case — until now. In a congressional hearing Tliesday in Washington, D.C., Attorney General Alberto Gonzales acknowledged that provisions of the act were used in the investigation against Mayfield; al though he first denied it, he corrected himself when asked a second time an hour later. “Senator, I think we have said pub licly — if not, I guess I’m saying it pub licly — that the PATRIOT Act was not used in connection with the Brandon Mayfield case,” Gonzales told Sen. Di anne Feinstein, D-Calif., at a Senate Ju diciary Committee hearing on sections of the law that are set to expire at the end of the year. More than an hour later, after Feinstein asked another question, Gonzales said he needed to correct his earlier answer. “You asked me specifically about the Mayfield case, and I’m advised that there were certain provisions of the PATRIOT Act that apparently were used,” he said. He named two sections of the code that he said were used: one deals with extending the duration of electronic surveillance and another makes it easi er to get warrants to search the private residences of U.S. citizens. Mayfield was arrested May 6 at his Portland law office after an FBI com puter matched his fingerprint to one found on a bag of detonators near the scene of the Madrid train bombings ■ STUDENTTRAVEL Cheap Student Airfare London $783 Amsterdam $974 Brussels $1000 San Jose costa Rica $463 Tokyo $703 Mexico City $372 Bangkok $864 Sydney $1069y "The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page." ___-Saint Aunustine 354 A.D. > We've Got EVERYTHING You Need for Summer Travel! I inca Journe A great adventure combining Q . Andean culture, the most ^ from famous Incan ruin and the lush \ Amazon Rainforest wO / m outh African Nomad Travel along the southern . coast of Africa and continue trom ' inland through tropical rainforest fcQQE \ to the impressive Victoria Falls. STA TRAVEL | www.statravel.com" that killed 191 people. He was freed two weeks later after the FBI admitted the fingerprints were not his. Mayfield’s attorneys and some le gal experts believe the Justice De partment has been reluctant to ad mit to using the PATRIOT Act in the Mayfield case out of worry it would taint the 2001 law as its provisions come up for reauthorization. “This administration is more con cerned with public relations than an honest scrutiny of the PATRIOT Act, a law which is the most dangerous at tack on civil liberties since the Mc Carthy era,” said Elden Rosenthal, one of Mayfield’s lawyers. Law professor Michael Greenberg er, a counterterrorism expert and for mer Justice Department official, also thinks the U.S. government has been nervous about acknowledging a con nection between the Mayfield case and the PATRIOT Act. Greenberger said the Justice Depart ment wants to “make this appear like a routine search consistent with a law that is not controversial,” a reference to the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Sur veillance Act. The Justice Department insists it is being up front with Congress about use of the PATRIOT Act. Tasia Scolinos, spokeswoman for the department, said that on Tuesday Gonzales told the congressional com mittee hearing that the Bush adminis tration has used the PATRIOT Act’s powers to listen to cell phone conver sations and examine business records 84 times in 3 1/2 years. “The Attorney General was forthcoming in his testimony on the Hill about the Patriot Act where he re leased new numbers about how this important anti-terror tool is being used and highlighted the civil liberties safe guards contained in the Act,” Scolinos said in an e-mail to The Associated Press in Portland. A Delta i The Dave Holland Bi Sunday, April 10th - The Shed there’s still a space for you in these great classes ! Paint & paper Acrylic Painting Tues, Apr 12-May 17 6:30p-9:30p $63 w/pass $68 w/out pass Matt Cutting Sat, May 14 & 21 io:3op-i2:3op $22 + pass purchase required Woodwork Finishing Wood Fri, May 13 & 20 io:3oa-i2:3op $24 + pass purchase required Chip Carved Box Wed, Apr 20-May 11 6:3op-q:3op $34 + pass purchase required Ceramics Intro to Raku Firing Sat, Apr i6,io:3oa-i:3op Sat, May 7,ii:ooa-6:oop (Firing) $39 + pass purchase required Scenic Ceramic Vases Sun, Apr 17-24 i2:3op-3:3op $29 + pass purchase required Ceramic Tool Making Sat, Apr 23-30 io:3oa-i2:3op $28 + pass purchase required Photography Beginning Photography Mon, Apr 11-May 16 6:3op-9:3op $65 + pass purchase required Photo Refresher Wed, Apr 13 & 20 6:3op-9:3op 1 $26 + pass purchase required Digital Imaging Sat, Apr 16-May 7 10:30a i:3op I S40 + pass purchase required Glass Stained Glass Sun, April io-May 15 5:oop-8:oop $56 + pass purchase required Introduction to Glass Fusing & Slumping Mon, May 9-16 c6:3op-9:3op $39 + pass purchase required Glass Marbles Tues, May 3-17 6:3op-9:3op $56 + pass purchase required Beg. Glass Bead Making A. Tues, Apr 12-26 6:3op-9:3op $43 pass purchase required B. Thurs, Apr 14-28 6:3op-9:3op S45 + pass purchase required Intro, to Glass Fusing Mon, May 2 6:3op-9:3op $23 + pass purchase required Jewelry Basic Wire Wrapping Sat, May 14 io:3oa-i:3op S22 w/pass $27 w/out pass Bead Basics Wed, May 4-23 6:oop-8:oop S32 w/pass Stone Setting Sun, Apr 10-24 $41 + pass purchase required Fibers S37 w/out pass I x:oop-4:oop Recycled Sweater Bags Sun, April 17 i2:3op-3:3op $63 w/pass $68 w/out pass Silk Painting Sun, Apr 17-May 13 i:oop-4:oop $49 + pass purchase required
