Our Opinion: Refine strategy to combat meth

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Missouri legislators once again are attempting to refine their remedy for restricting a key ingredient in the manufacture of meth.

Meth, short for methamphetamines, is a dangerous and deadly illegal drug. Explosions and fires have been linked to the manufacture the highly addictive substance.

Among its ingredients is pseudoephedrine, also used in a number of common cold medicines.

State lawmakers have limited over-the-counter sales of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Purchases are tracked by a real-time electronic system funded by the pharmaceutical industry.

A number of local governments in Missouri have gone a step further and required a doctor’s prescription to purchase cold medicines containing the meth precursor.

Some proponents of the prescription requirement advocate that approach statewide.

Another approach — to retain, but further restrict, limits — has been proposed by state Rep. Stanley Cox, R-Sedalia. Under his bill, the limit would be reduced from 9 grams to 7.5 grams over a 30-day period, with an annual limit of 60 grams.

Credit Cox with trying to find the proper balance between combating meth without creating added suffering for victims of the common cold.

We favor a balanced approach.

The electronic tracking system has been characterized as “extremely effective” by the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators. In 2011, the system blocked sales of more than 49,000 boxes of medicines containing pseudoephedrine.

Banning over-the-counter sales would create consequences not linked to combating illegal drugs.

Those consequences include delays, inconvenience and added costs as cold sufferers crowd doctors offices to seek prescriptions previously available as over-the-counter, cold-relief medicines.

We defer to pharmacists and other professionals to specify the precise amounts in a balanced formula that combats meth without causing collateral damage to cold sufferers.

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JCLifer 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Punishing the law-abiding citizens instead of the actual criminals makes no sense.

connor 3 months, 4 weeks ago

I know about as much about producing meth as I do temporal mechanics, which means as little as the Liberal's know about cause and effect. BUT

aren't there other ingredients that go into this mixture that might be easier to control than cold medicine?

asb 3 months, 4 weeks ago

No, pseudoephedrine is the one component needed and controlable. It certainly causes more harm in it's unintended use as canabis, and should trade places with canabis as a controlled substance requiring a perscription for purchase. Cause and effect are scientific principles, and are naturally open to interpretation by FRightWing extremists that think debunked bible doctors know pooh about rape and pregnency.

connor 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Well perhaps it slips past the Cleftwing extremists who wish to control the things that regular people normally use so as not to inconvenience the criminals but isn't ether used in there someplace?

My guess is that would be a bit easier to control the sale or procurement of.

asb 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Unlike pseudoephedrine, ether can be made cheaply from scratch. Pseudoephedrine is the best bottleneck for meth. It's not utterly effective, but regulating it works, ask any cop, doctor, pharmacist or meth maker.

spelchek 3 months, 4 weeks ago

It's already regulated and it's not working. Pour more regulation on it and watch it continue to stay a scourge on society. Have big pharma make it to line our politicians pockets just like all the other legitimate mind altering drugs. Then one day we can argue that insurance should pay for my meth and if you don't help pay, you'll be taxed for not doing so.

Sequoia 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Legalize cannabis and watch the meth problem disappear.

bwd1947 3 months, 3 weeks ago

The only sane solution is to legalize all drugs, for adults, and tax the heck out of them. In addition incredibly severe penalties should be enforced against anyone who commits a crime while under the influence of drugs. Taxes on the drugs could be used to pay for the cost of incarceration. Routine random drug testing should be legalized for all who collect welfare. If people are buying drugs with welfare money they have proved that they don't deserve the welfare. Those who fail drug tests and who have children, would be able to temporarily put their children in the custody of a relative. That relative would then receive the welfare money.

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