BOREN, COLE TO PUSH FEDERAL BILL

U.S. Reps. Dan Boren and Tom Cole said Thursday they will push federal
legislation replicating Oklahoma's highly successful law restricting the
sale of certain cold medicines used to make illegal methamphetamine.

Boren, freshman Democrat from Paden, will be the principal author of a
federal bill that will mirror the Oklahoma law. It is to be introduced next
Tuesday.

Gov. Brad Henry joined Boren and Cole at a news conference, saying a
federal law is needed to attack what has become a national epidemic of
methamphetamine abuse.

Henry signed the Oklahoma law last April, requiring that the sale of cold
medicines that contain pseudoephedrine be restricted to pharmacies.
Pseudoephedrine is the key ingredient used in homemade meth labs in the state.

Under the Oklahoma law, cold sufferers are required to sign for medicine
with the psuedoehpedrine in it, such as Sudafed.

Authorities credit the law with an 80 percent drop in meth lab seizures in
some areas of the state.

Henry said more than 20 other states are considering laws similar to
Oklahoma's.

"Nevertheless, the scourge of meth requires a nationwide effort," he said.
"Otherwise, we are giving methamphetamine makers and opportunity to make
their poison in one state and simply peddle it in another state."

Cole, a Republican, said it was not often that Oklahoma can step out as a
national leader on an important issue and he and Boren want to work on a
bipartisan basis to get a federal anti-meth law.

He said it was an issue that both Democrats and Republicans can rally around.

He said the interests around the nation in Oklahoma's law will help
sponsors of the federal legislation.