Pubdate: Mon, 22 Dec 2003 Source: Des Moines Register (IA) Copyright: 2003 The Des Moines Register. Contact: http://DesMoinesRegister.com/help/letter.html Website: http://desmoinesregister.com/index.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/123 Author: Register Editorial Board Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) DON'T HIDE THE SUDAFED . . . There's No Evidence That Restricting Cold Medicine Will Curb Methamphetamine Manufacturing. Methamphetamine is a serious problem in Iowa, and ideas to combat it are welcome. But some ideas would create more problems than solutions. Such is the case with a proposal to crack down on the sale of cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine. This common ingredient in over-the-counter remedies like Sudafed and NyQuil is necessary in manufacturing meth. Marvin Van Haaften, director of the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy, has proposed classifying pseudoephedrine as a Schedule V drug in Iowa, which would require tracking its sale. Van Haaften said taking away a buyer's anonymity would make already-paranoid meth users think twice about purchasing cold medicine. That's the hope anyway. Yet when Missouri imposed limits on how much cold medication a customer could buy, the number of meth labs actually increased. There's no evidence that limits on the sale of pseudoephedrine make a difference. What is known is the inconvenience that would be caused for all Iowans. Anyone buying cold medicine would have to show identification and sign a log. Only people over 18 could buy the cold remedies, and only pharmacists could sell them. No 17-year-old could pick up NyQuil for a sick parent. In small towns without a pharmacy, or one open only at certain times, sneezing and sniffling residents would be left without access to many effective medications. In any case, many stores have already taken steps to control access to these cold remedies by limiting sales or locking up medicines as they do cigarettes. This is done not only to monitor sales but to prevent shoplifting. With stores voluntarily keeping an eye on cold medicines, and with no evidence restricting sales would curb the manufacture of meth, the proposed government restrictions aren't worth the inconvenience to non-meth-abusing Iowans. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager