DON'T HIDE THE SUDAFED . . .

There's No Evidence That Restricting Cold Medicine Will Curb
Methamphetamine Manufacturing.

Methamphetamine is a serious problem in Iowa, and ideas to combat it are
welcome. But some ideas would create more problems than solutions. Such is
the case with a proposal to crack down on the sale of cold medicines that
contain pseudoephedrine.

This common ingredient in over-the-counter remedies like Sudafed and NyQuil
is necessary in manufacturing meth. Marvin Van Haaften, director of the
Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy, has proposed classifying
pseudoephedrine as a Schedule V drug in Iowa, which would require tracking
its sale. Van Haaften said taking away a buyer's anonymity would make
already-paranoid meth users think twice about purchasing cold medicine.

That's the hope anyway. Yet when Missouri imposed limits on how much cold
medication a customer could buy, the number of meth labs actually
increased. There's no evidence that limits on the sale of pseudoephedrine
make a difference.

What is known is the inconvenience that would be caused for all Iowans.

Anyone buying cold medicine would have to show identification and sign a
log. Only people over 18 could buy the cold remedies, and only pharmacists
could sell them. No 17-year-old could pick up NyQuil for a sick parent. In
small towns without a pharmacy, or one open only at certain times, sneezing
and sniffling residents would be left without access to many effective
medications.

In any case, many stores have already taken steps to control access to
these cold remedies by limiting sales or locking up medicines as they do
cigarettes. This is done not only to monitor sales but to prevent shoplifting.

With stores voluntarily keeping an eye on cold medicines, and with no
evidence restricting sales would curb the manufacture of meth, the proposed
government restrictions aren't worth the inconvenience to non-meth-abusing
Iowans.