ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE MAY AGGRAVATE COLDS

Not the worst of the inconveniences and expenses passed on to the general
public by drug abusers is the prospect of finding it more difficult to
purchase certain over the counter cold and allergy medicines.

Some of the remedies for a stuffy nose contain pseudoephedrine, a chemical
that's part of the recipe for cooking methamphetamine, a highly potent
illegal drug that gives users instant and long-lasting euphoria.

So legislators are looking for ways to control and/or restrict sales of
drugs containing the chemical in an effort to curtail its illegal use. This
is bound to have an adverse effect on innocent consumers who occasionally
take cold and hay fever remedies.

Again, there are worse consequences of the drug trade, such as murder,
theft and tragic accidents. But this one isn't to be sneezed at. Or is it?