SUDAFED, THE NARCOTIC

Senior John Gerdes connects the link between the popular over-the-counter
medication Sudafed to methamphetamines.

So exactly why do they keep the Sudafed behind the counter nowadays? The
answer may surprise you.

Recreational drug users take it for its similar yet milder properties of
amphetamine. Criminals use it for the illegal synthesis of methamphetamine
in clandestine laboratories all across the country.

Straight ephedrine, found in a variety of sources such as Sudafed, other
cold and allergy medications, diet pills, and other stimulants, is in the
amphetamine family. It can cause heart attacks, seizures, agitation,
palpitations and other health problems.

The Food and Drug Administration has proposed restrictions on ephedrine
after it received more than 800 reports of harmful effects to people. Among
those effects were coronary problems that could put patients at risk for
heart attacks, strokes and death.

The synthetic precursor that the bad guys are after is the same chemical.

The ephedrine is extracted and subjected to cyclic oxidation of the iodide
anion to iodine and the subsequent reduction of iodine back to the anion by
red phosphorous.

In layman's terms, the ephedrine is chemically altered and any chemist with
any experience could perform the reaction.

In fact, ephedrine is extremely close in structure and function to
methamphetamine, making its synthesis relatively uncomplicated. The state
of Texas busted more than 175 labs in 1999.

It costs taxpayers approximately $5,000 for authorities to properly clean
up a methamphetamine lab.

That's a minimum $875,000 for lab cleanups in 1999.

Meanwhile, schools are understaffed due to budget cuts.

Methamphetamine trigger the release of out-of-control levels of dopamine,
which stimulates neurons to inter-galactic, never intended, levels of
neural activity.

This causes shifty moods and twitchy body movement.

Long-term effects of methamphetamine use results in rotting teeth, skin
lesions, and psychotic symptoms resembling schizophrenia including auditory
and visual hallucinations, paranoia and severe anxiety.

There are reports of users' hearts exploding inside their chests.
Aneurisms, or exploding blood vessels in the brain, are also common among
long-term methamphetamine users.

Because of its relatively cheap ingredients and high marketability,
clandestine synthesis of the drug is growing in rural areas.

The North Central Texas Narcotics Task Force is vehemently pursuing all
clandestine methamphetamine producers in order to curb this growth and they
have been very effective, seizing $11 worth of drugs for every $1 in
funding they receive.

Texas taxpayers should applaud their diligence.