New tools are becoming available for the fight against methamphetamine, and local deputies are stepping up their efforts to eliminate the manufacture and distribution of the illegal drug in Clermont County.

The Clermont County Drug Task Force, a multi-departmental unit within the county, has been seeking out potential supply gatherers for meth manufacturers in the area, and have been enlisting the aid of local pharmacies to help stop the illegal activity.

“The state enacted a law concerning the purchase of pseudoephedrine,” said Marc Sorbello of the Clermont County Sheriff’s Department. “You have to sign for it, it has to be logged and signed for. The bad thing is all the stores aren’t linked with each other. Krogers has a database where they can log what Kroger customers buy, but they can’t track what is sold at Meijers, or Wal-Mart. That makes it tough, but it’s better than what we have.”

The problem, said Sarbello, is intercommunication. The original law gave law enforcement a chance to see who is buying pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in methamphetamines. However, the law didn’t provide for an easy way of communicating that information. So, to keep up with the tracking of potential illicit activities, Sorbello said that he’s began working with local pharmacies to identify suspicious names, which are then checked on and distributed to other pharmacies for monitoring.