Senate passes bill restricting sales of pseudoephedrine products

[EllisDTripp]

The US Senate has just passed a bill that will require a computer database of all purchasers of OTC cold and allergy products that could potentially be used to manufacture methamphetamine. The products would be sold only to those 18 and over, in limited quantities, and all purchasers will be required to provide personal info so that the government can track purchases from multiple stores.

When decongestants are outlawed, only outlaws will be able to breathe during allergy season...:(

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB6IIKNEDE.html

Senate Passes Anti-Meth Bill Restricting Sale of Cold Medicines
The Associated Press
Published: Sep 9, 2005
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sales of over-the-counter cold remedies used to make methamphetamine would be restricted under a bill that passed the Senate on Friday.

The measure, approved by unanimous consent, would require stores to sell Sudafed, Nyquil and other medicines only from behind the pharmacy counter.

Those medicines contain ingredients that can be extracted to manufacture the highly addictive drug that has wreaked havoc in communities across the country.

Consumers would have to show a photo ID, sign a log, and be limited to 7.5 grams - or about 250 30-milligram pills - in a 30-day period.

Computer tracking would prevent customers from exceeding the limit at other stores, according to the bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Jim Talent, R-Mo.

The bill is still pending in the House.

AP-ES-09-09-05 1216EDT

[nesta]

hell, i dont even like taking that stuff for allergies. but of course it is an infringement on our basic rights to....breathe. what gets me is how come coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol, each of which provide nasty addictions and side affects in far more people than meth does, are perfectly legal while a relatively benign PRECURSOR to a "more dangerous" drug gets restricted? or if you're attacking the over the counter segment of drugs of abuse, why not tackle something like DXM, nitrous oxide, or diphenhydramine or dramamine? you know...things that people actually use as drugs...

*sigh* whatever. i'm sure not going to buy it ever again anyways, but it sucks.

so...does this apply to everything that has pseudoephedrine in it, or just products that contain is as the sole active ingredient? i mean, can i still buy, say, dayquil?

[angerton]

Judging by the recent micrograms I've read, I'd say it'll pertain to all products. The DEA labs performed tests abolishing the popularly believed idea that standard street chemists can do little with multi-ingrediant products. Perhaps they'll not target the ones with very little PSE, putting it behind the counter, and keeping eye for suspicious aspects like usual. Then again, they're counting down the weight bought by customer, so it'll probably get logged.

I'm not interested in PSE, Meth, or manufactoring of any kind but... what kind of amounts of pseudoephedrine make what kind of amounts of meth? I'm just curious as to how much (like always) the government is overdoing it. Yes, a case of the stuff is very bad to sell, but will more than 2 boxes really be a risk? Especially if theres a log, as going store to store wouldn't be an issue then.

From what I've read, most meth still comes from Asia. Although production is a big problem in small towns still. This won't hault the drug trade (success the DEA has bragged about is measured by how many less sudafed boxes are sold per regulated state), though it may stop some apartments from going up in flames from irresponsible chemists.

[Maggie Sugar]

My local Walgreens has put all the pseudofed products back on the shelf. I was talking to the pharmacist and his opinion was that the whole government hysteria thing about pseudofed was overblown and he is not going to prevent people from getting Pseudpfed if they need it. He also said the "replacement" Sudafed PE "sucks."

However, our local Target has ALL pseudophed products behind either locked cabinets or the counter. I asked one of the techs why and she told me "Because sudafed is crystal meth." OMG. Do they educate these people? I tried to explain to her, but she was too clueless to even listen. She also seemed to think that dextromethoraphan (which is now behind locked doors at Target because of theft is "The same as sudafed.") Idiots, some of these pharmacy workers.

I went to Walgreens and stocked up on Sudafed for the coming winter sinus infections.

[SativaDiva]

Some gas stations where I live still sell it, even after being illegal for at least 1 1/2 years now. Meth production has increased more than ever since the outlaw.

[nesta]

ephedrine was banned for human consumption, pseudoephedrine is still otc in all places as far as i know, although obviously restrictions now apply.

gas station stimulant products like mini thins, stackers, yellow jackets all contained ephedrine, not pseudoephedrine. now the same companies produce similar products, often with the same names, but using caffeine rather than ephedrine. perhaps this is what youre thinking of, or perhaps the gas stations had huge stockpiles and are selling outdated pills, not to mention illegl pills.

[MistyMountainTop]

Well if that's messing up the production of ecstasy, then fuck the government. But is crystal meth itslef a really good drug? I've heard that shit causes heart attacks and strokes even in 11 year olds.


Not judging anything. Just putting my opinion. I think all psychadelics are okay, but stimulants can cause some damage.

[geckopelli]

It's a joke, because there are a hundred possible routes to meth.

what will they do next? ban milk? (yes, milk is a possible starting point)