NEWS: States Battling Methamphetamine May Put Controls on Cold Pills

In response to increased use of the drug methamphetamine, several states are looking at restrictions on the over the counter drugs used to make it. All told some 20 states are considering increasing controls on the purchase of Sudafed, NyQuil, Claritin-D, Tylenol Flu and the many other cold, allergy and sinus remedies that contain pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is one of the main ingredients in the drug others include: rubbing alcohol, starter fluid, drain cleaner, lithium batteries, matches and paint thinner.




I was shocked to see that California and Mexico accounted for more than 80 percent of all meth production and that it was as expensive as coc aine. These meth labs aside from their production of an illegal drug also represent a environmental and explosive hazzard as well. If having to talk to a pharmacist to get a pack of Sudafed will help curtail the production of this destructive drug, then I am all for it.

I agree that something has to be done to stop this growing menace, however, if the ingredients are no longer available in the US, what will stop it from coming across the border in mass quantities? Last I read, pharmaceuticals were easily obtained in Mexico.

Yet another attempt to keep the "war on drugs" in the mainstream media so law enforcement will continue to get their government funding.

People die from meth addictions. Does anybody honestly think we will prevent meth related deaths if we put a ban on NyQuil and related over the counter medicines? Is it these meth related deaths that are what we are trying to prevent? If somebody wants drugs, they will get them. The smart way to deal with a drug problem like this is to open clinics where users can get high for a lesser fee, in a controlled environment and where there is some hope of treating their addiction. Making drugs less accessible will only continue to keep the "war on drugs" a war which will never be won, but still very expencive to fight.

-Scott

Newsflash, if i want to get sudafed at Wal-mart in Tempe, Arizona, i have to ask the pharmacist for it. Its been this way for the past year.

The pharmacist gives me the once over and then gets the box.

Limit is 2

As a matter of fact, Oklahoma has already done this. Their state law is being considered as a model for a federal law.


You can read the original ATSNN article from May of 2004 here:

Trooper Nik Green Law


[edit on 1-11-2005 by Valhall]

I understand there are people out there doing things, but, why should the population suffer, the 99% out there with a need for a cold remedy?
What now, they'll all become prescription?
And how can a pharmacist judge who can buy these otc drugs and who cannot?
This is going a bit too far. I thought this Walmart here in Arizona was doing this in this area only.

Here in Louisville, at all the "Dollar General" stores, you are only allowed to buy one box of any cold medication....no exceptions....I live off sinus meds and used to buy a couple of boxes at a time so I wouldn't have to go but every couple of weeks.....not any more.

There are so many over-the-counter drugs that people can get utterly wasted on that it seems funny to me that so much attention is being focused on these...

I'd think that the bigger problem on hand is the abuse of cough SYRUP (or syrup in pill form)

I think even some famous femal rapper sings about it, like she's telling kids its some great thing to try - Missy Elliott, I think?

"sippin on some sizz-urp" (Not that I support the belief that music makes kids do #...but I mean, come on...)

DXM - Dextromethorphan...AKA Robotripping...

This is a really popular thing to do for kids now - and anyone can buy that crap, muhc less, walk in a store and steal it - I know kids who go to the same Wal-Mart and steal that # almost every day - sometimes twice a day...never been caught - They'll chug a whole bottle (per person) or pop a few cold pills....

Seems like that's a little more important in my book.....I don't understand why sudafed and these other drugs are receiving more attention...

[edit on 1/11/2005 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

If people want drugs to get high, for what ever reason, they WILL get them.
Why should we waste money and time to try and make them less obtainable?

Originally posted by Nemithesis
If people want drugs to get high, for what ever reason, they WILL get them.
Why should we waste money and time to try and make them less obtainable?

I'm certainly not pro drug-war......For some people, it's probably easier to get weed or crack than it is some sudafed....

The problem here is that certain drugs fall into certain classes....Thus restricting their availability to the public and/or the market that they are sold and offered in....

Given that we don't have some radical change where people actually become responsible for their actions (ie...what they buy and consume) - which would really be the best answer....then the next natural step is to analyze what is on the market in certain areas, what's in that product, is it harmful, could a kid accidently overdose on it, etc....Then apply restrictions...

It's a logical step in the "right direction" given our current system....

I don't think it means that if you or I needed that drug for a valid reason we couldn't get it...it would simply be a law that exists to ATTEMPT to help people - Once again, as you mentioned....people will still use it....whether it helps people or not, is up to the people who choose to use it....

[edit on 1/11/2005 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

...And then we have the OTC painkillers with 500mg paracetamol and 30 mg codeine , where people use the cold water/filtration method to extract all the codeine from 10 caps.

You can't buy over 5 at a time in Oklahoma and if you try then the pharmicist or cashier at the store will likely call the police and report you as suspicious. I lived in Oklahoma for a long time in the aorta of this type of stuff, Interstate 40 is the main road on which they transport this stuff.

Update: This was before the Nik Green law. I guess it was an informal law to report and not sell that many back then.

-My Two Cents on some peoples comments: Some people commenting here do not understand this epidemic. In Oklahoma it is an epidemic, we have lots of people who make these drugs because it is an easy way to make money in an area with a bad economy. Even today, some people in the areas where I lived are considered highly respected because of their contributions to the community through businesses and other such actions, but they are connected to large network of meth labs. Then there are just low-rent people individually making this stuff. Friends from my high school have been busted for making this stuff and using it, it is an epidemic!

[edit on 11-1-2005 by Prince_Machiavelli]

Here in south Texas we do it the old fashion way. We communicate with the pharmacies. If someone buys more than a few boxes they are usually up to no good. That goes for the hardware stores as well. They look for people buying some of the usual materials needed and when they see them they call us. (copper tubing, lithium batteries and such)

I'll have to try and find the article and post it here on another part of meth production. Being in Law Enforcement I get all kinds of publications. Some farmer has invented a dye for Anhydrous Ammonia that survives the cooking process for meth. Kind of like the dye packs in bank registers. Once a meth user uses the end product made with the laced Anhydrous, the get a stain that wears off after a few weeks and does not cause any illness. The cooks that handle is also get stained.

The war on drugs is almost a joke. There is no way to put a stop to it at all. And it took me 13 years of being a cop to realize it. However, if illegal drugs ceased to exsist at this very moment, as in right now, our economy would crash tommorow making us another third world country. Trillions and trillions of dollars transfered a year would gaurentee this is it stopped.

Originally posted by Prince_Machiavelli
You can't buy over 5 at a time in Oklahoma and if you try then the pharmicist or cashier at the store will likely call the police and report you as suspicious.

Same rule in California, however, the meth guys started taking vans of kids and would drive through a city buying up the stuff at a ton of locations so spread out, people would not get really suspicios

One pill to make you happy
one pill to make you speedy
one pill to make you sleepy
one pill to make you horny
one pill to make you see things that are not there...
and one pill to make you feel like you are walking on clouds

that is all that people are asking... and then we can get rid of all the other drugs without anyone complaining to much or trying to break laws...

but the rule makers of the world, don't want to admit that people like to feel "different" once in awhile... (cause that is BAD)

there are legal (prescription) pills that work so much better than crank (meth) and cause so much less health damage... so why don't they just legalize those, and kill the black market in about 30 minutes...

If people want to kill themselves, that's their business. Why would someone intentionally destroy their health unless they were under some form of mind control anyway.

Isn't the illegal nature of "drugs" simply to increase the street price, maintain monopoly price fixing, evade taxation on huge profits, and keep the prison industry flush? Not that I was there, but anybody remember how well prohibition worked? It worked great for the drug cartels and related mafia families.

Drug laws are certainly not passed in the interest of public health. They are passed in the interested of private profit and population control, IMO.

sonoflaz said...
there are legal (prescription) pills that work so much better than crank (meth) and cause so much less health damage...

Just curious - what drugs, and what are they prescribed for... narcolepsy?

Originally posted by Countermeasures
...And then we have the OTC painkillers with 500mg paracetamol and 30 mg codeine , where people use the cold water/filtration method to extract all the codeine from 10 caps.

Its worth the trip to Canada alone. I went bought 2 bottles for my cough turned around and came back a couple of times. They're mild yet great for coughs.
Cant get those in the USA