FORT WAYNE, Ind (Indiana's NewsCenter) ----
A crackdown on Meth use in Steuben County has landed more than a hundred people behind bars since April.
More than fifty violators have been arrested just over the course of the last couple of weeks.
Instead of just react to explosive meth lab fires, the Steuben County Sheriff's Department are going straight to the places where ingredients for the drug are purchased.
State law forbids anyone from buying more than three grams a week of certain cold and allergy medicine.
Average box sizes contain 2.4 or 2.88 grams, so just more than one box could easily put you above the legal limit.
It's a limitation that during this active allergy season has landed at least five people behind bars mistakenly.
"I try to interview most of the people we arrest on the warrants, but I'm not going to be able to interview all of them. But, in the cases where we find out they're buying the ephedrine for allergies because of the family, a follow-up report is sent to the prosecutor and then it's up to the prosecutor to figure out what he's going to do in that case," says Cpl. Chris Emerick of the Steuben Co. Sheriff's Department.
Emerick tracks the purchases from 15 local gas stations and pharmacies and says at Angola square where a Wal-mart and Walgreen's are side-by-side, he's seen several violations.
Police in Dekalb county will begin a similar crackdown in the next week or so.
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