Pubdate: Wed, 09 Feb 2005
Source: Oak Ridger (TN)
Copyright: 2005 The Oak Ridger
Contact:  http://www.oakridger.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1146

BALANCE NEEDED ON COLD MEDICINE LIMITS IN TENNESSEE

Another View: From The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville)

Tennesseans will soon have access to over-the-counter cold pills that
don't have the active ingredient used to make methamphetamine. Both
the federal government and the state of Tennessee have looked into
ways to keep pseudoephedrine, which is the main ingredient in many
popular over-the-counter cold and allergy relief medicines, out of the
hands of those who manufacture meth.

Washington and Nashville have both considered following Oklahoma's
example and requiring drugs with pseudoephedrine to be put behind
pharmacy counters.

Now, Pfizer Inc. plans to release to the United States an alternative
decongestant without pseudoephedrine that it has been selling in Europe.

Sudafed PE contains phenylephrine, which cannot be converted into
meth. That means it could stay out safely on the shelves.

It will go on sale in February in the United States. Pfizer is selling
it as an alternative, but the original formula will still be available.

Gannett News Service reports that between October 2003 and August
2004, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration busted about 1,200 meth
labs in the state of Tennessee. The state also removed about 750
children from the custody of meth abuses in 2004.

Clearly, meth abuse is a problem in the state. What the government
needs to do is strike a balance between allowing people to have easy
access to decongestants as needed and preventing the criminals' misuse
of the product. 
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MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFLorida)