NACDS Joins Consumer Healthcare Products to Fight Meth

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) announced today it's joining the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) in efforts to combat methamphetamine production in communities across the country through an innovative program, Retailer Meth Watch.

The Retailer Meth Watch program, sponsored by CHPA, helps retailers and law enforcement thwart suspicious sales and the theft of pseudoephedrine and other common household products that can be used in making the illegal drug methamphetamine (meth).

By providing funding and educational resources as well as training and technical assistance, CHPA is giving retailers the tools to help their communities in the battle against meth production. CHPA has modeled its program after the successful Kansas Retail Meth Watch program, where program participants reported a decrease in store losses due to theft, safer stores, better relationships with law enforcement, increased customer and employee awareness, and an overall decrease in meth labs.

"NACDS recognizes the importance of joining CHPA member companies in their efforts to promote the cooperation between retailers and law enforcement to prevent the use of common household products in the manufacturing of illegal substances," said Craig Fuller, president and c.e.o. of NACDS. "We look forward to building and growing this relationship with CHPA in order to create safe and healthy communities."

NACDS has the opportunity to assist CHPA's efforts by making the program available to retailers in other states that are reporting cases of the theft or suspicious sales of meth ingredients. NACDS plans to educate chain and associate members on the buying practices of meth producers and engage retailers and suppliers in the creation of industrywide policies designed to obstruct meth production, while ensuring continued customer access to these products for legitimate purposes.

NACDS and CHPA plan to work in collaboration with state and federal legislators and policymakers to ensure funding for additional Retail Meth Watch programs while providing industry insight, feedback on store-level operations, and guidance on feasible solutions to curb theft. The overriding goal of the partnership is to give retailers the tools to safely assist law enforcement in the fight against the diversion of legitimate household products to the illegal manufacture of meth in their communities.

The Retailer Meth Watch program can also be supplemented into the Retail Alert Network (RAN) -- an online information hub helping to combat crimes occurring in and around retail outlets as well as in local communities -- developed by NACDS, Cap Index, and ChainDrugStore.net.
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