JEFFERSON CITY -- State Sen. Anita Yeckel, R-Sunset Hills, offered testimony on Monday, on legislation that would tighten Missouri's already tough methamphetamine laws. Law enforcement officers from throughout Missouri were on hand to show support for this groundbreaking legislation.

"Methamphetamine represents the fastest growing drug threat in Missouri," said Sen. Yeckel, during testimony before the Senate Judiciary and Civil & Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. "One of the most insidious aspects of this drug is that it is manufactured with chemicals found in over-the-counter cold medicines."

Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which are found in most cold and allergy medicines such as Sudafed, are the base ingredient for the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Under Senate Bill 433, all packages of any drug containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or like ingredients would be kept behind the counters or within six feet of the register in any retail establishment. Alternatively, retailers could use an anti-theft system that specifically prevents the theft of such drugs.

In addition, this legislation limits the sale of medicines containing these drugs to two packages.

"Nothing about controlling the spread of meth is simple," Sen. Yeckel said. "Tighter control of meth ingredients seems to be one of the most promising approaches."

During the 2001 legislative session, Sen. Yeckel sponsored legislation that limits the sale of drugs containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine to three boxes per customer. However, law enforcement officers have reported that since the passage of this law there has been a marked increase in cases of shoplifting of cold medicines.

"If these items were behind a counter, the thefts at retail stores would go down considerably," said Sen. Yeckel. "We want to take the most aggressive way that we can to fight the methamphetamine problem."

In developing this legislation, Sen. Yeckel worked closely with Missouri's law enforcement community in an attempt to find solutions to problems that they face on the streets every day.

"There continues to be an increase in the number of methamphetamine laboratories operating in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas," Sen. Yeckel said. "Sadly, Missouri ranks first in the manufacture of this drug. That's certainly not a distinction that I'm proud of."

In 1993, the Missouri Highway Patrol seized 12 meth labs. That figure rose dramatically over the next nine years and in 2002 the patrol reported seizure of 803 meth labs.