O'FALLON LOOKS AT MOVING MEDICINES

Any product containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, ingredients commonly
found in cold medications, may soon be placed behind store counters in
O'Fallon.

The O'Fallon Board of Aldermen introduced a bill Thursday that would
restrict the sale of ephedrine and related products, which can be used in
the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

The board is expected to take action on the bill April 17. If approved,
Talbott said the new law would go into affect immediately.

The St. Peters Board of Aldermen on Oct. 24 became the first city in the
country to restrict the sale of the products. The St. Charles City Council
and the St. Charles County Council soon passed similar bills.

O'Fallon Police Chief Steven Talbott, sponsor of the bill, said some city
stores are already putting ephedrine-based products out of accessible reach
of customer.

"Meth is a huge problem. Missouri leads the country in meth lab busts
again," Talbott said. "We're doing this for safety."

Talbott referred to the death of former Shop 'n Save security guard James
Toppett, who was killed last May in St. Peters by a man helping his
girlfriend steal 14 packages of Sudafed, which contains ephedrine.

The Vandalia couple, Johnny Barclay and Angie Crenshaw, were sentenced Dec.
19 in St. Charles County Circuit Court to 30 and 15 years in prison,
respectively.

Products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, ephedrine hydrochloride,
pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, phenylpropanolamine and all combinations of
these chemicals would be placed behind the counter, according to language
in the bill.

Ephedrine is also found in dietary supplements. Talbott said those products
containing that chemical could be taken off the market soon in response to
the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler in February from
heatstroke.

Bechler was taking a weight-loss drug containing ephedrine, which has been
linked to heatstroke and heart trouble by doctors.

Ephedrine-based supplements have been banned by the NFL, the NCAA, and the
International Olympic Committee, but not by Major League Baseball or the
Food and Drug Administration and are still available over the counter.