Pubdate: Tue, 02 Jan 2001 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2001 The Dallas Morning News Contact: P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265 Fax: (972) 263-0456 Feedback: http://dmnweb.dallasnews.com/letters/ Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Forum: http://forums.dallasnews.com/cgi-bin/wwwthreads.pl ARKANSAS BILL WOULD LIMIT COLD-DRUG SALES FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. Arkansans will have to make a little more effort when they need to stop sniffling and sneezing if proposed legislation passes the General Assembly this year. Among proposed bills in the Assembly is a measure that would knock certain cold medicines off store shelves and make them available only through pharmacies. The idea is to remove those with ingredients used to make the illegal drug methamphetamine namely, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Rep. Jan Judy, D-Fayetteville, is proposing the legislation, one of many measures for legislators to deal with after the session begins Monday. Consumers wouldn't need a prescription for products containing the two chemicals. But they would have to be older than 17, show ID to a pharmacist and sign for the products. Pharmacists would be required to record purchases and limit how much a person could buy within 48 hours. Drug police like the measure, saying such a law would allow them to track suspicious purchases and discourage meth makers from buying the restricted products. Critics say such a law would inconvenience and anger legitimate consumers and burden already overtaxed pharmacists in the state. "Say you've got a family of three who has a cold," said Nancy Bukar, a lobbyist and attorney with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. "The mother goes to the convenience store and wants a nighttime product for herself, a daytime product for her husband who works and a pediatric product for the baby. Already, she's reached the three-box limit," she said. Drug manufacturers are strongly opposed. "Some people have concerns," Ms. Judy acknowledged. "But there's been support from many legislators who believe that most citizens would be willing to give up a little convenience in order to help curb the methamphetamine problem in our state." State Drug Director Bill Hardin wrote in supporting the legislation that meth production has reached nearly epidemic proportions in Arkansas. Arkansas leads the nation in the number of meth labs seized per capita in 1999 with 544, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. State Crime Laboratory officials estimate the number of meth labs seized in Arkansas in 2000 will exceed 800, the DEA said. Law enforcement officials say meth makers are mostly using pseudoephedrine, which is illegal to possess only if police have evidence it would be used to make the drug. "Unless you have a confession or something else like paraphernalia to show intent to manufacture, you can't prosecute," said Dale Weaver, administrator for the 16th Judicial District Drug Task Force in Batesville. The bill doesn't recommend how much of cold products customers should be allowed. But some in law enforcement want to limit consumers to purchasing 24 60-milligram tablets in a 48-hour period. But Anne Hines said the proposal poses problems for rural customers. Hines is executive vice president of the Arkansas Oil Marketers, a trade organization for convenience stores and truck stops. "Our concern is that in some rural areas, one of our stores may be the only store that's open," Ms. Hines said. "We're concerned our legitimate customers won't be able to access these products in the middle of the night when they really need them." - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart