METH INGREDIENT NOW HARDER TO BUY

If you've had difficulty finding a certain over-the-counter decongestant on
supermarket and pharmacy shelves, blame it on methamphetamine cooks and
those who collect it for making the illegal drug.

Most South Mississippi stores are making it harder to get pseudoephedrine,
also known by the brand name of Sudafed, because it's a known ingredient
for making meth. In many stores, you have to ask for the tablets at the
pharmacy counter and sign your name.

While it's inconvenient for shoppers, store owners and law enforcement
officials say it cuts down on shoplifting and makes it easier to keep tabs
on who's going where to buy the medicine.

A state law amended in 2001 makes it illegal to have more than 250 of the
tablets.