Pubdate: Sun, 13 Feb 2005
Source: Springfield News-Leader (MO)
Copyright: 2005 The Springfield News-Leader
Contact:  http://www.springfieldnews-leader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1129
Author: Carl Smith
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

DROP THE STARCH TABLETS; GO WITH GEL

The politicians and law enforcement say they have the answer to the
methamphetamine problem. Why should we believe them?

They've been telling us for 35 years that hiring more police and building
more prisons would give us a drug-free America. So far they haven't managed
to give us drug-free prisons.

We're now supposed to believe that putting Sudafed behind the counter will
stop these desperate, toothless meth users when the threat of imprisonment
or their children dying wouldn't?

This legislation will make pseudoephedrine a valuable black market commodity
which will markedly increase the associated violence and corruption. The
desperate will now acquire it through robbery and murder.

Where was the outcry when the pharmaceutical companies boosted
pseudoephedrine production, allowing meth makers to flood our streets with
poison? The gel cap version can't be used to make meth, but we insist on
keeping the starch-based tablets available.

An investment of a small portion of their profits into exclusively producing
the gel cap would have saved countless lives and taxpayer dollars.

Any form of pseudoephedrine that can be used to manufacture methamphetamine
should be banned. Why are corporate profits, political gains and cheap
relief for a stuffy nose more important than the lives of our children?

Carl Smith, Ozark
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MAP posted-by: Josh