Senate advances bill to restrict cold medicines

[dogday]

http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-07-28T180635Z_01_N28140868_RTRIDST_0_CONGRESS-METHAMPHETAMINE.XML


WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - The Senate judiciary committee on Thursday unanimously approved a bill that would limit access to common cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, an ingredient that can be used to make the highly addictive drug methamphetamine.

The committee sent the "Combat Meth Bill" to the full Senate. A similar bill in the House of Representatives has been referred to a subcommittee for consideration.

In testimony to Congress earlier this week, Bush administration officials and law enforcement officers from around the country said methamphetamine addiction, once confined to western and mainly rural regions of the United States, has spread to the entire nation and now also is affecting urban and suburban areas.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales recently said methamphetamine had surpassed marijuana as the greatest danger to the nation's children.

[getmeouttahere]

1. OMG!!!! How many centuries is it going to take...

before this country gets over it's obsession with the "dangers" of marijuana?????????

Deliver me from this moronic farce of a country!!!

Everything surpasses marijuana as dangerous - alcohol especially!!!

[SouthernDem2004]

2. Er, whis is not about marijuana. /nt

[getmeouttahere]

3. See the last sentence

from none other than Alberto Gonzalez

[lynettebro440]

4. I had a disagreement with the pharmacist

I had to be almost finger printed in the state of Iowa to get asthma medicine over the counter. I told her, why are the rest of us being chastised because people are using this stuff illegally. Don't you understand, they will just use some other form to get high. I asked her if next we will have to sign for spray paint, or plastic bags. It really pisses me off that people who really do need this medication are being subjected to body searches when buying these ingredients. I have finally decided that I won't submit to this kind of treatment. I refuse to buy this stuff anymore, and have been finding herbal ways to take care of my asthma. I can't wait to find out what else will be the "new number 1 killer" of our young. What will they think of next. Morons.....

[getmeouttahere]

5. Next, they will restrict your ability to get the herbals....

or at least make it a lot more expensive...I believe that is already underway

[katmondoo]

6. Speaking of spray paint I bought a can in K-Mart

and they wanted by BIRTH DATE??? I laughed as it is obvious I am a senior. They said it was because spray paint could be used for graffiti. I do not get the connection between my birth date and the use of graffiti. I am able to use for that purpose should I choose to and write anti Bush messages, so what good does it do. I won't buy paint there anymore and I use lots of it in my little business.

[getmeouttahere]

7. Wow, that IS amazingly dumb...

it's almost as if they just want to mess with people, because none of this does a damned bit of good

[Wickerman]

11. I haven't checked lately, but in San Antonio spray paint was under lock

and key for years. Too many huffers and too much gang monkey bidness.

[dflprincess]

8. Minnesota restricted access a couple months ago

you have to show ID and sign a log when buying OTC allergy or cold medicine (like Sudafed non-drowsy). It's as big a pain to the pharmacies as it is to the consumer. I asked the guy behind the counter if they have to send the logs somewhere, but it's only kept in case the store is audited.

Some stores in the area were already restricting how much of this product they'd sell at one time but the legislature decided that wasn't good enough because it didn't stop someone from going to another store. As far as I can see, neither does the new law.

[lynettebro440]

9. I can see it coming in the future

We will have to show our ID's for condoms, foams, sponges. Anything that has to do with birth control. They could take this to a whole new level and there would be nothing that we could do about it. Unbelievable.

[getmeouttahere]

10. Oh, some pharmacists are already....

taking it upon themselves to deny women access to birth control. But of course you don't have to have a prescription for a condom. But I wouldn't put it past 'em.