[robertpaulsen]

"We were told that taking cold tablets off of store shelves would reduce meth abuse"

We were told no such thing. And cold tablets were not taken off store shelves, your histrionics aside.

Only those cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine were regulated. They were not banned, they were not made illegal, they were not "taken off the store shelves".

And the intent was to reduce the number of local meth labs that were blowing up, poisoning children, and creating toxic sites. The legislation was effective -- it resulted in a 30% decline across the U.S. in less than two years.

"They now tell us that meth "superlabs" employing hundreds of meth cooks have sprung up...more meth, stronger meth and cheaper meth!"

Maybe in Mexico, but not in the U.S.

"As a result of our efforts and those of our law enforcement partners in the U.S. and Canada, we have seen a dramatic decline in methamphetamine “super labs” in the U.S. In 2005, 53 “super labs” were seized in the United States, the majority of which were in California. This is a dramatic decrease from the 246 “super labs” seized in 2001. This decrease in “super labs” is largely a result of DEA’s enforcement successes against suppliers of bulk shipments of precursor chemicals, notably ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Law enforcement has also seen a huge reduction in the amount of pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and other precursor chemicals seized at the Canadian border."

" But with the drop in “super lab” activity in the United States, however, we have also seen an increase of “super lab” activity in Mexico."

[mugs99]

Only those cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine were regulated. They were not banned, they were not made illegal, they were not "taken off the store shelves".
Which pretty much covers all cold pills. I live in a rural area. Our general store no longer carries cold pills because of the law. If I want cold pills I have to drive 120 miles round trip.

the legislation was effective -- it resulted in a 30% decline across the U.S. in less than two years
ROFL!
Your copy and paste from the Propaganda Ministry doesn't jive with the news. Here's an article from your neck of the woods:
Daily Review Atlas
Monmouth, Illinois
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Even though the overall number of meth labs seized has decreased in many areas, methamphetamine, also known on the street as crystal meth or crank, is still abundant as well as cheap compared to some drugs.

Most law enforcement officials believe the Methamphetamine superlabs in the southwest are manufacturing more of the drug to make up for the decreased local production.

In the metro areas meth abuse continues to fuel an increase in crimes like robbery and assault, which is straining the workload of local police forces.

A survey of the National Association of Counties found nearly half of county law enforcement officials consider methamphetamine their primary drug problem, more than cocaine, marijuana and heroin combined.

The survey of 500 county law enforcement officials in 44 states showed that about half reported a decrease in the number of meth lab busts as a result of laws that restrict the sale of cold medicines with precursor ingredients used in the manufacture of meth.

The survey is also consistent with federal figures released last month showing a 30 percent drop in the number of labs seized nationwide. But county officials said supply of the drug remains high from super labs in California and Mexico.

There are 25 additional newspapers, across the country, running stories about superlabs filling in for the lost mom & pop labs on this date. Fact: More meth...Stronger meth...Cheaper meth.

the intent was to reduce the number of local meth labs that were blowing up,
You'd think exploding meth labs would be big news. I have never seen an exploding meth lab on the news. Where are these exploding meth labs? How many exploding meth labs are we talking about?

Fact: The drug war protects the drug gangs that flood the country with meth!
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