Pubdate: Tue, 17 May 2005 Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune (FL) Copyright: 2005 Sarasota Herald-Tribune Contact: http://www.heraldtribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/398 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) METH CONTROL Restrictions On Cold Medicine Will Disrupt Spread Of Dangerous Drug The next time you get a stuffy nose, you may discover that your favorite over-the-counter remedy is now behind the counter. In an effort to disrupt the spread of methamphetamine labs, Florida lawmakers recently passed restrictions on the sale of allergy and cold medicines containing a common decongestant called pseudoephedrine. The measure, which Gov. Jeb Bush says he'll sign into law, will require stores to place pseudoephedrine products behind the counter and limit sales to a few packages at a time. The goal is to make life more difficult for people who mix chemicals in makeshift labs to create methamphetamine, an illegal and highly addictive stimulant. Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient in "meth," also known as crystal, crank, ice and speed, among other names. Florida's legislation is part of a growing national campaign to shut down meth labs, which not only produce a dangerous drug but also pose serious public safety and environmental risks. Explosions and fires are common at the labs, and the victims are often innocent bystanders. In 2003, accidents at meth labs in the United States injured or burned 48 children and killed one, according the Drug Enforcement Agency. Police have found labs in houses, mobile homes, motel rooms and even vehicles traveling on the highway. DEA officials say more than 9,100 labs were raided in the United States last year. Florida has seen the number of lab seizures mushroom from 28 in 2001 to approximately 330 last year, according to Gov. Bush. With the new law, Florida will become one of a dozen states that restrict access to pseudoephedrine. In other states, many of the nation's major retailers, including Target and Wal-Mart, are voluntarily putting the products behind the counter. "This problem is so severe in many parts of the country that our retailers are making sacrifices to help law enforcement in their efforts," Mary Ann Wagner, an official with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, recently told The Washington Post. The restrictions imposed by individual states and retailers are commendable, but a broader, uniform initiative is needed to ensure that meth makers don't zero in on areas where restrictions aren't tight. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Sen. James M. Talent, R-Mo., have introduced a bill in Congress modeled on an Oklahoma law that's credited with a 50 percent reduction in small meth operations there. The Oklahoma measure requires buyers of pseudoephedrine products to show indentification and sign logs that would enable law enforcement officials to track people going from store to store to accumulate large volumes of pills. Restricting access to cold and allergy medicines may sound extreme, even silly. But the inconvenience to consumers is small, and it could make a major difference in the battle against a dangerous drug. - --- MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman