Posted on 01/16/2006 7:50:48 AM PST by TaxRelief
WAKE FOREST, N.C. --North Carolina started enforcing its new law intended to stop the spread of methamphetamine labs on Sunday.
Since 1999 the number of meth labs in the state has skyrocketed. Then the State Bureau of Investigation busted nine labs; in 2005 they discovered 328 of them.
As of Jan. 15 you must be at least 18, show photo ID and sign a log if you want to by over-the-counter cold medicines such as Sudafed and Tylenol Cold. Both medicines contain either pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, which are key ingredients used to make meth.
(snip)
Under the new law you can only buy two packages of cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine at a time, and only three packages in a 30-day period.
There is an age below which it is reasonable to expect that kids should not be self-medicating. You can argue whether that age is 6 or 18 or something in-between. But the sad fact is that massive amounts of Corecidan (sp?) is a cheap, legally obtainable, and dangerous high for some teens. I don't think teens can buy spray paints in some states, and I know the old Testors plastic cement was once sold only to adults for the same reason.
To be honest, I have no idea what the "signature" part of the law is about unless it is an attempt to keep the merchants honest.
I don't mind its being "behind the counter" as long as we can get some when we need it. Maybe laws of this kind will spur the development of alternative decongestants!
Real meth labs just get this stuff from Mexico. They must be going after the very small operators.
Yeah, we're on I-20 between El Paso and DFW, so (Odessa, really) is kind of a hot bed of meth right now.
FWIW, I actually prefer chlorpheniramine maleate (chlor-trimeton) to the stuff with pseudoephedrine.
I also find it helps for migraine type headaches caused by the vagus nerve going funky-like when you wear headphones, or a visor, and the next thing you know you have sharp shooting pains radiating from behind the ear or jaw across the top of your head.
Now when they start regulating chlorpheniramine, then, I'll be stockpiling the stuff!
These are state laws, so the commerce clause (and federal power) is not implicated.
That said, these are stupid laws for an altogether different reason.
before this law took effect we literally had a house exploding a week in marshall county and it wasnt illegals doing it.
it was the local "redneck chemists" who saw a chance at an easy buck
Rofl!!!!!
I fully understand - someone earlier mentioned that the pharmacy at WalMart isn't open all the time so that would make it tough to get the meds at night - I haven't experienced that because we try to keep meds here all the time.
I know Midland/Odessa well...... ;^)
Anyone that sues me because of my jellies is not very ambitious :)
That's exactly the situation I'm in - family of 10, and only 2 of us over 18. I guess we'll have to use Vick's Vapo-rub, or inhale oil of menthol. Unless that's regulated, too ...
Don't know if you've noticed, but sudafed markets an alternative already, with the main ingredient being phenylephrine instead of pseudephedrine. It doesn't even come close to working for me.
Yes, we in Midland refer to Odessa as our private Tijuana.
Us, too. Maybe I'll start stocking up now, when nobody's congested or sneezing!
I don't mind the "behind the counter" thing that much either.......it's the limitations on how much you can buy. Your situation is the perfect example of the problems with that.
I suppose my point is that I have to question the sincerity of politicians who on the one hand, pass all kinds of restrictions on the sale of cold/allergy medications, while on the other hand, allow their states to continue to hand out driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
That's exactly what is going on here in Oregon. The legislature actually passed a law requiring a prescription for Sudafed, while the Democrats in the state Senate are blocking the implementation of the Real ID Act.
I'm sure they are. It's probably the druggies who have to get their latest fix and get by with a stash of it from the nearest pharmacy.
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