Methamphetamine or "meth" used to be a drug seen in rural areas, but now police say it is spreading across the state.

"It has increased over the last couple years. The southwest part of the state has had the brunt of it from the beginning," said Detective 1st Lieutenant Tim Gill of the MSP Drug Task Force.

That's because the process to quick and the materials are cheap--essentially needing only a few over the counter decongestants.
Right now in Michigan, when a person buys pseudoephedrine a record is kept at the store and nothing is stopping a person from going to another store

"We already collect signatures, but the guy next door doesn't know what I'm selling, neither does the gas station or the grocery store," said local pharmacist Stephan Wilcox.

But new legislation now requires the sale of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine to be tracked in a statewide database.

"By just swiping your driver's license, if in fact you have gone over the limit, which is a limit of number of grams you can purchase in a 24 hour and in a 30 day period of time, that would automatiacally allow the clerk to know that you have over purchased in that period of time," said Sen. John Proos, (R) St. Joseph.

The law is aimed to prevent and potentially uncover illegal drug use.

"We can identify some of the meth cookers and deal with the problem," said Det. 1st Lt. Gill.

The tracking system is currently used in nearly 20 states.

"It's too bad that we have to. As a small business owner, and a pharmacist, I feel like we are left to be the final police in this situation," said Wilcox.

But pharmacists and police say they are dedicated to keeping medicine out of the wrong hands.