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Meth Lab Seizures Drop in W. Va; 123 Busts So Far This Year
By: Associated Press
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – Methamphetamine lab seizures are down 20 percent in West Virginia compared to the first six months of 2014.
There have been 123 meth lab seizures so far this year.
Delegate Don Perdue says the decline is due in part to many retail pharmacies no longer selling cold and allergy medications that have pseudoephedrine as their only ingredient.
Pseudoephedrine also is used to illegally manufacture methamphetamine.
Perdue says another possible factor could be a shift in law enforcement priorities to other drugs, such as heroin and prescription narcotics.
Figures from the tracking system NPLex show pharmacies have sold 141,000 boxes of medications containing pseudoephedrine so far this year. A total of 303,000 boxes were sold in 2014. Pseudoephedrine sales peaked at 431,000 boxes in 2013.