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"Meth" Bill Would Limit Some Cough Syrup Sales

July 29, 2005

Meth Bill • New Law Makes It Tougher To Buy Cold Medicine • "Meth" Bill Would Limit Some Cough Syrup Sales

In a rare show of bipartisan unity, the Senate Judiciary Committee has voted unanimously to limit consumer access to over-the-counter cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is one of the key ingredients in methamphetamine – an illegal drug that has become a scourge, especially in rural areas.

In testimony before the committee, Bush Administration and local law enforcement officials said that methamphetamine addiction has spread over the years, and the problem has now moved into urban areas in all regions of the country. One reason is the drug is cheap and easy to make. The proposed “Combat Meth Law” is designed to change that.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), would require retailers to move cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed, NyQuil, and Tylenol Cold, behind counters so consumers must ask for it. It would also limit individual purchases of the drugs to 7.5 grams a month.

Feinstein says the measure would put thousands of “meth labs” out of business overnight. She also said it would provide encouragement to pharmaceutical companies that make cold remedies without pseudoephedrine.

Meth can be made using readily available household and agricultural chemicals and cold medicines. Recipes for making it are easily found on the Internet.

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