Major drug chains and mass retailers, including CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Longs Drugs, Wal-Mart, Target, ShopKo and others, recently have enacted voluntary policies in which products containing pseudoephedrine -- a prime component in the manufacturing of methamphetamine -- are moved behind the pharmacy counter.

Additionally, some retailers have placed restriction on the amount of pseudoephedrine a customer can purchase in a single store visit.

One in Five Inmates Jailed for Meth

The NACo study, titled "The Criminal Effect of Meth on Communities," also found that methamphetamine is The No. 1 illegal drug problem in the view of law enforcement agencies in 58 percent of the counties surveyed and that agencies in 70 percent of the counties said the drug is driving up the number of robberies and burglaries.

About 90 percent of those interviewed reported increases in meth-related arrests in their counties over the past three years, and 50 percent of the counties surveyed estimated that 1 in 5 of their current jail inmates were housed because of meth-related crimes.

"The primary objective of my presidential initiative on meth is to promote action by Congress and the [Bush] administration to control and reduce the production, distribution and abuse of methamphetamine, including assistance to counties in responding to the problem locally," said NACo president-elect Bill Hansell.