BILL WOULD PUT COLD MEDICINES BEHIND THE COUNTER

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sudafed and other cold medicines used to create the
illegal drug methamphetamine would be placed behind the counter under
a bill that received second reading Tuesday in the House.

"They would be back there with cigarettes and lottery tickets," said
Rep. Joan Brady, the bill's sponsor.

The bill, introduced last year, passed 93-4 on Tuesday.

The proposal affects about a dozen products that contain
pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in meth. People who go into stores
and pharmacies to buy the cold medicine would need to sign a log that
includes their name, address and how much of the product they purchased.

Buyers would be limited to three packages, or a total of 9 grams, per purchase.

The log requirement would deter would-be meth producers from buying
the nonprescription medicine, said Brady, R-Columbia.

She said the logs could also serve as an investigative tool if police
discover an outbreak of meth labs and could be used as evidence in court.

Twelve states already require such logs, Brady said. North Carolina
and Georgia recently passed similar legislation.