METH BATTLE MAY PUT COLD MEDICINES OUT OF REACH

Pseudoephedrine In Some Remedies Often Used To 'Cook' Lethal Stimulant

Pseudoephedrine is in the crosshairs for legislators since it is said by
law enforcement officials to be the principal ingredient in the caldron for
meth "cooks." It shows up in such products as Sudafed and, when combined
with a brew of several other toxic substances, yields meth.

Police, prosecutors and drug counselors have been urging legislators to
take action on this and other "precursor" ingredients, including
agricultural chemicals, citing the experiences of other states. In
Oklahoma, for example, officials have reported a sharp drop in the number
of meth lab seizures after the new controls were enacted.

There seems to be a bipartisan consensus in Wisconsin that pseudoephedrine
should be designated a "Schedule V" controlled substance, meaning
essentially that it can be sold for retail only under the supervision of a
pharmacist. The number of packets that can be purchased at one time also
would be limited. And customers would likely have to sign in, provide a
valid ID and record their purchases in a log that could be accessed by police.

The effort is meant to foil shoplifting meth cooks or their helpers who
clear store shelves of the product or legally purchase the drug in large
quantities, traveling from store to store to avoid suspicion.

Assembly and Senate leaders are hammering out details on the new laws, and
a vote is expected this month. A sticking point could be an exemption for
so-called "combination" products, such as Actifed, that combine
pseudoephedrine with other drugs, analgesics or antihistamines.

In both chambers, a version of the legislation limiting access to meth
ingredients has passed the relevant committees in recent weeks, though
legislators continue to haggle over the combination exemption.

The debate has centered on just what meth cooks are using and whether new
restrictions in neighboring states such as Iowa and Minnesota, which have
put the combination capsules behind the pharmacist's counter, would
therefore make Wisconsin a destination for meth-minded shoppers.

Medications in gel caps form are another issue. For the time being,
pseudoephedrine in that form would not be restricted in the pending
legislation, because there is general consensus that it is much more
difficult to make meth with gel caps than with starch-based capsules. But
the proposals provide a mechanism to send gel caps, too, behind the
pharmacists' counters if meth cooks begin turning to them. Evidence from
meth labs in Iowa suggests they already have.

With that in mind, Minnesota's legislature is contemplating banning
pseudoephedrine altogether.

Some legislators, though, have been wary of the impact on consumers.

"Before we take products off the shelves, we have to have solid proof that
those products are being used to produce methamphetamine," said Rep. Scott
Suder (R-Abbotsford), chairman of the Criminal Justice and Homeland
Security Committee.

Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager said she supported regulating the
combination drugs the same as single-ingredient medications, citing data
that show that last year, "combo capsules" were used to cook meth at 24 of
44 seized labs.

"If we take pseudoephedrine off the market, those who produce meth will be
driven toward those more readily-available substances," said
Lautenschlager, who has conducted two "meth summits" in recent months to
raise awareness about the drug.

Last month, an official with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
weighed in on the combo issue, writing to an official from the
pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, a principal manufacturer of combination products.

"Methamphetamine cooks are not quality conscious to the extent that they
worry about what else might end up in the final product," wrote William
Grant, chief of the DEA's public affairs section.

That sentiment was echoed by Dale Woolery, associate director of Iowa's
office of drug control policy, who cited his state's statistics, which
showed an uptick in appearance of the combo-based meth after an earlier
round of legislation failed to limit those products the same as the
single-ingredient tablets.

Whether pseudoephedrine shows up by itself or with another drug "is a
distinction without a difference to meth cooks in Iowa," he said.

In 2003, according to Iowa figures, 32.9% of lab samples submitted included
combination products. In November and December of 2004, before new
restrictions were enacted, that figure jumped to almost 66%.Tom Engels, a
lobbyist for the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, said lawmakers should be
mindful that more restrictions could limit the products available to
consumers, since there would be limited space in some instances.

"During the proverbial cold and flu season, it's going to be a lot of work
for pharmacists," Engels said. "And there's not going to be room for all of
the products."

Retail giants Wal-Mart and the Target Corp. already have begun putting some
of the non-prescription cold medications behind the counter. Locally, the
Roundy's Corp. has limited purchases of products containing pseudoephedrine
to three units per customer.

State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls), a lead supporter of the most
stringent precursor restrictions, said a key to passing the legislation
would be to convince legislators from areas not yet affected by the drug.