04-15-2005, 05:59 AM
Greetings, all,
I'm curious what people think about a proposed change to Michigan law, to require people to show an ID and sign a log-book to buy some over-the-counter cold medicines.
http://lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/...D=7320515524613 [this might disappear one of these days, if it gets moved to their archival service, so I appended the text of the article below]
Personally, even though Meth is a real problem, and the reason for proposing this is "good," I think this is a bad idea. I mean, come on. Not even cigarette smokers have to sign a registry! :whistling:
Seriously, this means anyone who wants to buy the most common OTC decongestant for an episode of hay fever or a cold, or, I think, some antihistamines, will have to show an ID and register. Am I the only one who thinks that's a little "Big Brother-ish?"
I am already limited to buying two "containers" at a time of the antihistamine I usually buy, because it can be used as a precursor for some other illegal drug (that's about a 3 week to two month supply, depending on the size of the "container"); now I will have to show an ID and sign a log book when I want to buy some Sudafed (or the generic version)?
All because "meth makes users paranoid, they may hesitate to show ID or sign a log to purchase decongestants." !?!
It boggles my mind; where will it stop?
I tend to hate the phrase "slippery slope" but it comes to mind here.
Regards,
Dako-ta
=================================================
Anti-meth bill limits sales of cold pills
Supporters say restrictions will curb drug labs
By David Eggert
Associated Press
An everyday remedy for the common cold is the must-have ingredient in methamphetamine - a highly addictive narcotic cooked in houses, hotel rooms, even vehicles.
That's why limiting the sale of decongestants such as Sudafed, Claritin-D and other medicines containing pseudoephedrine can drastically reduce the number of dangerous meth labs sprouting up across Michigan, state lawmakers and law enforcement officials say.
They want products with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as the sole active ingredient to be kept behind the counter or within 20 feet of an attendant. Gelcaps and liquid forms of the same medicines would be exempt because only the tablet form of the drugs can be converted to meth.
Under proposed legislation, customers would be required to show a valid ID and sign a log book indicating the amount they buy.
Police hope that disrupting the supply of the key ingredient could make meth production more difficult and the drug less available.
A similar tactic has netted quick results in Oklahoma, home to a tough law restricting the sale of cold and allergy medicines.
But in Michigan, the idea is drawing opposition from retailers who would be responsible for monitoring the sales.
"Retailers will take the abuse when their poor customers are so angry they have to jump through all these hoops to buy cough syrup," said Linda Gobler, president of the Michigan Grocers Association.
Proponents say the legislation is not too much to ask.
"It may be an inconvenience for members of the general public who are using the products legitimately," said Det. Lt. Tony Saucedo, commander of the Michigan State Police methamphetamine team. "But it's a small price to pay if we can control meth labs here in Michigan."
Meth takes toll
Meth is not yet the epidemic that it is in other states. But its prevalence is growing as production moves east and north nationally. It's the No. 1 drug problem in southwest Michigan, the state's hotspot for meth labs.
Operating a clandestine lab - usually in rural areas away from the public eye - can lead to toxic gas leaks, chemical fires and explosions. Ground water, drinking water and soil may be contaminated. The scene, once discovered by law enforcement officials, usually must be treated as a hazardous waste zone.
Property values decline.
The human toll is worse. One in three children's protective services cases in Van Buren County is meth-related.
"It's everybody's problem, not just the users'," said E.J. McAndrew, a drug and alcohol prevention specialist who heads the Van Buren County Methamphetamine Task Force.
This is where law enforcement and others believe pharmacists, groceries and convenience stores can help out. Cutting off easy access to pseudoephedrine can eliminate small labs run by those who make and use meth, officials say.
"It's going to take care of 90 percent of the problem in Michigan," McAndrew predicted.
State Sen. Patricia Birkholz agrees. The Republican from Allegan County's Saugatuck Township is sponsoring the legislation to limit the sale of pseudoephedrine. Birkholz said that because meth makes users paranoid, they may hesitate to show ID or sign a log to purchase decongestants.
"That's the way to have the heaviest impact on thwarting this horrible scourge," she said.
'Logistical nightmares'
Retailers already must restrict the amount of pseudoephedrine available for purchase in individual locations. But meth makers are hitting every store in a county, making it tougher to prevent stockpiling of the pills.
Four hundred cold tablets are needed to make an ounce of meth worth $1,500. Altogether, it costs just $80 to buy the pills and other household products that go into making meth.
Retailers and pharmacists say they are sympathetic to the meth problem but warn of "logistical nightmares" if the legislation is approved. One disagreement centers over which products to place behind or near the counter.
Gobler, of the grocers organization, said the legislation is written too broadly and could force bigger stores to put hundreds of different kinds of products behind the counter. She also criticized the ID and sign-in requirements.
"We're punishing law-abiding citizens who are buying legal products," Gobler said.
Out of stock
Another conflict between supporters and opponents is whether to put all tablets containing pseudoephedrine behind pharmacy counters and ban other types of stores from selling them.
Pharmacists say the concept - used in some other states - is the best way to safeguard the medications. It's not uncommon for products containing pseudoephedrine to be stolen, according to police, so having them behind a counter could keep them safe.
But that would leave other retailers, including grocery and convenience stores, unable to stock some types of cold medicine pills and tablets. That could hurt their bottom line.
Supporters say they understand why there is opposition to the measure. But they argue if Michigan does not make it harder to get ingredients, the state will attract meth manufacturers leaving states with newer and tougher statutes.
"If we don't have a law that's as stringent, people are going to come to Michigan," said Saucedo of the state police.
Debate on meth
The problem
• Cold medications are used to make a highly addictive drug called methamphetamine.
Proposed solution
• Some Michigan lawmakers want customers who buy products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine to show valid ID and sign a log book.
The concern
• Retailers say customers shouldn't have to do that.
What's next
• Lawmakers plan to hold hearings after they return from their spring recess.
On the Web
• Michigan Legislature: www.legislature.mi.gov
• Michigan State Police: www.michigan.gov/msp
• Michigan Grocers Association: www.michigangrocers.org
• Michigan Pharmacists Association: www.mipharm.com
• Van Buren County Methamphetamine Task Force: www.vbmeth.org
I'm curious what people think about a proposed change to Michigan law, to require people to show an ID and sign a log-book to buy some over-the-counter cold medicines.
http://lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/...D=7320515524613 [this might disappear one of these days, if it gets moved to their archival service, so I appended the text of the article below]
Personally, even though Meth is a real problem, and the reason for proposing this is "good," I think this is a bad idea. I mean, come on. Not even cigarette smokers have to sign a registry! :whistling:
Seriously, this means anyone who wants to buy the most common OTC decongestant for an episode of hay fever or a cold, or, I think, some antihistamines, will have to show an ID and register. Am I the only one who thinks that's a little "Big Brother-ish?"
I am already limited to buying two "containers" at a time of the antihistamine I usually buy, because it can be used as a precursor for some other illegal drug (that's about a 3 week to two month supply, depending on the size of the "container"); now I will have to show an ID and sign a log book when I want to buy some Sudafed (or the generic version)?
All because "meth makes users paranoid, they may hesitate to show ID or sign a log to purchase decongestants." !?!
It boggles my mind; where will it stop?
I tend to hate the phrase "slippery slope" but it comes to mind here.
Regards,
Dako-ta
=================================================
Anti-meth bill limits sales of cold pills
Supporters say restrictions will curb drug labs
By David Eggert
Associated Press
An everyday remedy for the common cold is the must-have ingredient in methamphetamine - a highly addictive narcotic cooked in houses, hotel rooms, even vehicles.
That's why limiting the sale of decongestants such as Sudafed, Claritin-D and other medicines containing pseudoephedrine can drastically reduce the number of dangerous meth labs sprouting up across Michigan, state lawmakers and law enforcement officials say.
They want products with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as the sole active ingredient to be kept behind the counter or within 20 feet of an attendant. Gelcaps and liquid forms of the same medicines would be exempt because only the tablet form of the drugs can be converted to meth.
Under proposed legislation, customers would be required to show a valid ID and sign a log book indicating the amount they buy.
Police hope that disrupting the supply of the key ingredient could make meth production more difficult and the drug less available.
A similar tactic has netted quick results in Oklahoma, home to a tough law restricting the sale of cold and allergy medicines.
But in Michigan, the idea is drawing opposition from retailers who would be responsible for monitoring the sales.
"Retailers will take the abuse when their poor customers are so angry they have to jump through all these hoops to buy cough syrup," said Linda Gobler, president of the Michigan Grocers Association.
Proponents say the legislation is not too much to ask.
"It may be an inconvenience for members of the general public who are using the products legitimately," said Det. Lt. Tony Saucedo, commander of the Michigan State Police methamphetamine team. "But it's a small price to pay if we can control meth labs here in Michigan."
Meth takes toll
Meth is not yet the epidemic that it is in other states. But its prevalence is growing as production moves east and north nationally. It's the No. 1 drug problem in southwest Michigan, the state's hotspot for meth labs.
Operating a clandestine lab - usually in rural areas away from the public eye - can lead to toxic gas leaks, chemical fires and explosions. Ground water, drinking water and soil may be contaminated. The scene, once discovered by law enforcement officials, usually must be treated as a hazardous waste zone.
Property values decline.
The human toll is worse. One in three children's protective services cases in Van Buren County is meth-related.
"It's everybody's problem, not just the users'," said E.J. McAndrew, a drug and alcohol prevention specialist who heads the Van Buren County Methamphetamine Task Force.
This is where law enforcement and others believe pharmacists, groceries and convenience stores can help out. Cutting off easy access to pseudoephedrine can eliminate small labs run by those who make and use meth, officials say.
"It's going to take care of 90 percent of the problem in Michigan," McAndrew predicted.
State Sen. Patricia Birkholz agrees. The Republican from Allegan County's Saugatuck Township is sponsoring the legislation to limit the sale of pseudoephedrine. Birkholz said that because meth makes users paranoid, they may hesitate to show ID or sign a log to purchase decongestants.
"That's the way to have the heaviest impact on thwarting this horrible scourge," she said.
'Logistical nightmares'
Retailers already must restrict the amount of pseudoephedrine available for purchase in individual locations. But meth makers are hitting every store in a county, making it tougher to prevent stockpiling of the pills.
Four hundred cold tablets are needed to make an ounce of meth worth $1,500. Altogether, it costs just $80 to buy the pills and other household products that go into making meth.
Retailers and pharmacists say they are sympathetic to the meth problem but warn of "logistical nightmares" if the legislation is approved. One disagreement centers over which products to place behind or near the counter.
Gobler, of the grocers organization, said the legislation is written too broadly and could force bigger stores to put hundreds of different kinds of products behind the counter. She also criticized the ID and sign-in requirements.
"We're punishing law-abiding citizens who are buying legal products," Gobler said.
Out of stock
Another conflict between supporters and opponents is whether to put all tablets containing pseudoephedrine behind pharmacy counters and ban other types of stores from selling them.
Pharmacists say the concept - used in some other states - is the best way to safeguard the medications. It's not uncommon for products containing pseudoephedrine to be stolen, according to police, so having them behind a counter could keep them safe.
But that would leave other retailers, including grocery and convenience stores, unable to stock some types of cold medicine pills and tablets. That could hurt their bottom line.
Supporters say they understand why there is opposition to the measure. But they argue if Michigan does not make it harder to get ingredients, the state will attract meth manufacturers leaving states with newer and tougher statutes.
"If we don't have a law that's as stringent, people are going to come to Michigan," said Saucedo of the state police.
Debate on meth
The problem
• Cold medications are used to make a highly addictive drug called methamphetamine.
Proposed solution
• Some Michigan lawmakers want customers who buy products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine to show valid ID and sign a log book.
The concern
• Retailers say customers shouldn't have to do that.
What's next
• Lawmakers plan to hold hearings after they return from their spring recess.
On the Web
• Michigan Legislature: www.legislature.mi.gov
• Michigan State Police: www.michigan.gov/msp
• Michigan Grocers Association: www.michigangrocers.org
• Michigan Pharmacists Association: www.mipharm.com
• Van Buren County Methamphetamine Task Force: www.vbmeth.org