Senate moves to limit sales of cold medicine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate moved on Friday to stop the proliferation of illicit methamphetamine labs by limiting sales of common cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, a primary ingredient in the illegal drug.


The Senate approved the measure as an amendment to an appropriations bill funding law enforcement activities as well as a range of federal agencies. That bill is expected to be approved next week.

The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Jim Talent (news, bio, voting record), a Missouri Republican, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (news, bio, voting record), a California Democrat, would move cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed, NyQuil, and Tylenol Cold, behind pharmacy counters and limit how much one person can buy to 7.5 grams a month, or about 250 tablets of 30 milligram each.

"Methamphetamine is epidemic ... in my state alone, law enforcement tells me, hundreds, perhaps thousands of labs operate in isolated areas (and) often not so isolated areas," Talent told the Senate.

"The home next door may be making methamphetamine. They make it in cars and vans."

Under the amendment, customers will be required to show a photo identification and sign a log. The bill envisages a computer tracking system to stop people from buying pills at multiple stores.

It is modeled after an Oklahoma law, also copied by at least a dozen other states, that has resulted in a large drop in methamphetamine labs seized by authorities.

The bill also authorizes $43 million in new methamphetamine funding for law enforcement, training and treatment.

Similar legislation has been introduced in the House. Talent said he hoped the House would agree to keep the measure as part of the appropriations bill when the two sides meet to work out their differences on the wide ranging bill.

Methamphetamine can be made using common household and agricultural chemicals and cold medicines following recipes easily available on the Internet. The drug is highly addictive, makes users aggressive and damages their brains.