Pubdate: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 Source: News & Observer (NC) Copyright: 2005 The News and Observer Publishing Company Contact: http://www.news-observer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/304 Author: Mandy Locke Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) BILL WOULD TIGHTEN SALE OF COLD DRUGS Lawmakers Aim To Curb Methamphetamine Labs Pseudoephedrine Found In Medicine Is Used In Meth Runny-nosed North Carolinians would have to flash photo identification and sign a log before buying pseudoephedrine pills -- the ubiquitous decongestants -- if lawmakers pass a bill meant to fight meth. Pharmacists worry the legislation is overkill. The bill filed Thursday, sponsored by state Sen. Walter Dalton and Sen. John Snow and crafted by Attorney General Roy Cooper, attacks a growing drug problem at its source. Methamphetamine, made from common garage and medicine-cabinet items, has ravaged states in the West and Midwest. The problem is heading East, and North Carolina law enforcers are bracing for an epidemic. Only one state, Oklahoma, has put pseudoephedrine tablets under pharmacists' watch. About 20 other states are considering it, said Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for Cooper. "It is too easy to manufacture this drug," Dalton said in a news conference Thursday. "This bill will go a long way in putting manufacturers out of business." The decongestant is meth's base ingredient. Under the bill, customers shopping for pseudoephedrine-based cold pills, such as Sudafed, would have to wait in line to see a pharmacist who would screen their purchase. Stores without pharmacies would have to yank the tablets altogether. Syrups, gel capsules and a new version of cold medicine using phenylephrine as a base would remain. The proposed law has pharmacists concerned. "With all the record-keeping we have to do now already, this will just slow down the process of people getting their medicine," said John Woodard, a pharmacist and owner of Sutton's Drug Store in Chapel Hill. And lobbyists for retailers complain that by pulling cold medicines off grocery and convenience market shelves, the law would unfairly limit customer access. Round-the-clock pharmacies are scarce in North Carolina. "In Wake County, if you work the second shift and fought a cold all the way through it and need to get some medicine when you get off, there's only one place you can go," said Fran Preston, president of the N.C. Retail Merchants Association. Meth Labs On Rise Lawmakers say customer inconvenience is worth it. In just the past five years, law enforcement has been losing a battle with meth manufacturers. In 1999, officers in North Carolina busted nine labs; in 2004, officers found 322 labs. That number is expected to hit between 500 and 700 this year. Officials complained that children are being exposed to meth labs and that too many local firefighters and police are being exposed to dangerous chemicals when they bust up a meth lab. Darien South, a Watauga County firefighter, testified to the horrors of meth labs Thursday, describing how fumes at a meth lab fire he responded to scorched his lungs and temporarily blinded him. In Oklahoma, meth lab busts have dropped by 80 percent since the law restricting pseudo-ephedrine sales went into effect in April. Efforts Under Way The bill is expected to get warm reception in the N.C. General Assembly, which passed stiffer penalties for meth users last session. Legislative leaders, such as House Speaker Jim Black, are convinced lawmakers will find a common ground between access and scrutiny, said his spokeswoman, Julie Robinson. In addition to efforts in other states, similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this session, Talley said. Some pharmacists fear that some stores legally able to carry common cold medicines will get out of the business altogether. "Many pharmacists will just stop carrying it, because they don't want the hassle," said Bill Burch, who owns and runs Central Pharmacy in Durham. Already, pharmacists must regulate nonprescription cough syrups with codeine. They must screen the customer before the sale. Many ask for identification, and the law requires pharmacists to log the customer's name and address. Drug Enforcement Administration agents spot check the records. Willing To Comply Some chain retailers already have taken steps to curb illegal use of pseudoephedrine tablets. Pharmacies such as CVS ask for a photo identification. Others, such as Eckerd, limit the number of packs customers can buy. More than a dozen states mandate a limit on pseudoephedrine packs purchased. Thursday at Central Pharmacy, Janet George of Durham needed 10 minutes to hunt for a cold medicine to combat her sniffles and cough. She read the labels, compared prices and chatted with a pharmacist who wandered by to offer a suggestion. Though George was anxious to get home, pop a pill and crawl into bed, she said she wouldn't mind waiting to see a pharmacist and showing her license. "It would be less convenient, but there are some things more important to me than convenience," said George, 40, whose brother is a police officer who busts meth labs in Colorado. "When I weigh the odds, I'm OK with it." Lawmakers hope others will be as patient. "This is such a small inconvenience for a great benefit," Cooper said. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth