HARDWARE PRODUCTS MONITORED FOR METH

Potential methamphetamine manufacturers beware -- Edson-and-area businesspeople know the potential ingredients of the drug and are monitoring the products which go into it.

The Alberta College of Pharmacists, along with its member drug stores, recently agreed to put products which contain ephedrine and pseudoepedrine behind the counter.  Both are prime ingredients in one form of the drug.  But that's not all, as hardware stores and stores which carry hardware products, are monitoring potential meth ingredient purchases in their stores.

While they haven't taken the products off the shelves, they are making it tougher for people who are buying multiple quantities of the product.

For example, potential meth makers would have a difficult time attaining such products at Timberjack Home Hardware Building Centre.

Manager Ken Olivier and his staff have labelled potential meth products in their store.  As a result, it would be very difficult to purchase, in mass quantities, products such as kerosene, acetone and muriatic acid, unless the buyer can furnish their name, phone number and address and the reason for purchase.

"We had a guy come in and ask for two large cans of kerosene -- he said it was for a furnace.  He ( then ) said `I don't know if I have enough money.' He never came back," said Olivier.

Over at True Value Hardware their monitoring program isn't as stringent, but staff still carefully watch what customers are purchasing.  Owner Dave Brown said he hasn't noticed any mass purchases of meth-type products.  Acetone, for example, continues to be sold at a less-than-rapid pace.

"We sell 24 bottles of acetone a year," said Brown.

The local business community has been advised of meth and the ingredients used to make it by Edson RCMP officials and members of the Edson and District Drug Action Coalition.  Coalition co-chair Edith Zuidhof-Knoop said the Timberjack initiative, along with local monitoring programs, should go a long way in discouraging potential meth manufacturers.

"It's going to make them think twice."

Zuidhof-Knoop praised Edson town council and its employees for contributing countless hours to coalition projects.