GOV. BARBOUR SIGNS BILL RESTRICTING SOME COLD MEDICINE

Come July, Mississippians will need a doctor's
prescription to buy cold medicines like Mucinex, Claritin D and Sudafed.

Gov. Haley Barbour has signed House Bill 512,
making any medicine that contains pseudoephedrine
- a key ingredient in methamphetamine - a controlled substance as of
July 1.

Supporters say the measure, which passed the
House and Senate in recent weeks, will deter meth production.

"We are serious about reducing the use of
methamphetamine in our state," Barbour said in a
statement. "This law is another tool for law
enforcement to fight illegal drugs and protect
our communities. Meth use is a problem all over
the nation, and I'm proud Mississippi can lead
the way in battling this drug that damages lives."

Mississippi is only the second state in the
nation to require a prescription for
pseudoephedrine. A similar law in Oregon went
into effect about three years ago.

"We think this is the best way to control (meth)
in the state," said Sen. Gray Tollison, D-Oxford,
during debates on the bill. "It's having a huge
effect on our population. We've got to do something to control it."

During lengthy debates at the Capitol in recent
weeks, opponents argued the restriction would be
inconvenient for Mississippians who legally use
the medicines. They also expressed concern over
the effects the bill could have on poorer
Mississippians and those without health
insurance, while meth makers could cross into
other states like Tennessee or Louisiana to get the medicines.

Law enforcement officials, like Hinds County
Judge Bill Skinner, say they don't doubt the
inconvenience the new law would cause. But the
impact on reducing meth use is worth it, he said.

"Paying a $20 copay is a small price for the
children affected my meth," Skinner said.