INCONVENIENT CURE

Back-room drug cookers cranking out illegal methamphetamine are among the
most troublesome criminals facing law enforcement today. The drug itself is
a problem, of course, and homemade meth labs also pose tremendous risks
from fires and explosions.

But a well-intentioned bill designed to curb the retail sale of a popular
over-the-counter decongestant used to make meth would inconvenience people
whose only offense is that they're suffering from a cold or allergies.

Pseudoephedrine is the basic ingredient in meth. It is also the active
ingredient in medications such as Sudafed. A bill crafted by Attorney
General Roy Cooper would require customers to buy cold remedies containing
pseudoephedrine from a licensed pharmacist.

Given the growing menace of meth, that sort of restriction might be
acceptable in a city with numerous 24-hour pharmacies. But it would be a
problem for many North Carolinians who live in rural areas where the only
places to shop late at night are grocery and convenience stores.

There are smaller steps that could help; some pharmacies already are
limiting sales. Meth makers need pseudoephedrine in bulk. But much of the
supply comes from the black market sale of stolen or diverted drugs, not
from one-per-customer sales at neighborhood stores.

The General Assembly is right to enlist in the war against methamphetamine
labs. The challenge facing legislators is to choose their weapons carefully
and make sure they are aiming at the right target. The proposed bill should
undergo a careful review in that light, with an eye toward other options.