 The legislation amends the Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act by making it
illegal for individuals to knowingly purchase pseudoephedrine or ephedrine on
behalf of convicted meth manufacturers. Madigan said this legislation is
necessary because under current law, convicted meth manufacturers are banned
from purchasing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine and, as a result, these meth cooks
often turn to "pill shoppers" to buy pills on their behalf. The legislation
strengthens the "pill shopping" violation, making it a Class A misdemeanor for a
first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent conviction.
Madigan stressed that the law will not affect lawful buyers of pseudoephedrine.
They will still be able to obtain pseudoephedrine-based medications within the
current limits set by Illinois law.
"The bill gives law enforcement a necessary tool to prosecute 'pill shoppers'
who are paid to evade the laws that are designed to prevent convicted meth cooks
from accessing pseudoephedrine to manufacture this deadly drug," Madigan said.
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Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, worked with the attorney general's
office and sponsored the legislation.
"As meth destroys countless families and lives in our
communities, this legislation will help stem the production of this
devastating drug," Sullivan said. "By allowing law enforcement to
crack down on individuals who traffic in these precursors, we can
further limit meth production."
Madigan has long worked to combat the scourge of meth use and
production in Illinois, supporting tough laws, including the 2006
Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act, which cracked down on the
sale of pseudoephedrine and strengthening penalties for those
convicted of meth-related offenses.
[Text from file received from the office
of
Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan] |
