Retailers in Southern Oregon have joined the fight to stamp out methamphetamine.

Oregon Meth Watch is in place at local Minute Markets and Bi-Mart stores. Participation by Safeway, Rite-Aid and Wal-Mart is expected to follow. About 200 stores around the state have signed on as partners in the program, coordinator Tammy Stringham said.

"We want (meth cooks) to know, ‘Hey, don’t come to us ... because you’re not going to get it here,’ " said Phyllis Simpler, operations manager for the Medford-based Minute Markets.

The statewide program aims to discourage meth manufacturing by marking common household commodities used in the process. Employees of participating stores are trained to closely monitor sales of those items.

Shoppers will see stickers and tags with the Oregon Meth Watch logo on everything from cold tablets to coffee filters, lithium batteries to lye.

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Shoppers are "totally shocked" at some of the things used in making meth, said Sandi Sutterfield, manager of the Highland Drive Minute Market.

Buying a combination of the suspect items is a red flag for store employees, who may call police, said Glenn Iaggi, manager of Bi-Mart on Medford’s Biddle Road. However, most customers shouldn’t be fearful of buying one or more of the products.

"It’s a no-brainer," Iaggi said. "You can tell if they’re using it for the intended purpose as opposed to the purpose it’s not intended for."

Participating stores also may distribute fliers explaining the program, which is among the first efforts of a meth task force that Gov. Ted Kulongoski organized in December. Entirely supported by donations, Meth Watch is modeled on a program designed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the state’s bureau of investigation.

After implementing the program for six months, a large Kansas retailer reported losses related to the shoplifting of ephedrine decreased from about $3,000 per month to less than $500, according to a Meth Watch publication.

Jackson County’s alcohol and drug planning committee will launch a campaign to educate the public about the drug this year. Local officials also will re-evaluate and adjust drug treatment, law enforcement and social services, committee chairman Abe Huntley said.

About 600 meth-related criminal charges have been filed so far this year in the county’s Circuit Court, said Bob Kleker, court operations supervisor. Medford police investigated 315 meth cases through July 15 this year, Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said. Meth accounts for about 75 percent of Medford’s drug arrests and drug cases handled by the county district attorney.

Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail slemon@mailtribune.com

Red-flag items used in meth making