Pubdate: Tue, 10 May 2005
Source: Times-Picayune, The (LA)
Copyright: 2005 The Times-Picayune
Contact:  http://www.nola.com/t-p/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/848
Author: Ed Anderson, Capital Bureau

LIMITS ON METH INGREDIENT APPROVED

2 Bills Would Restrict Sales of Sinus Pills

BATON ROUGE -- With little debate Monday, lawmakers passed two
competing bills to restrict the sale of over-the-counter cold or sinus
medication that can be used as ingredients in making the addictive
drug crystal methamphetamine.

House Bill 29 by Rep. Eric Lafleur, D-Ville Platte, which has stricter
penalties for the sale of more than three packs of medications that
include ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine, cleared the
House 103-0 and now goes to the Senate.

Senate Bill 24 by Sen. James David Cain, R-Dry Creek, passed the
Senate 36-0. It requires pharmacists and retailers to sell no more
than three packs of the drugs at one time and have the counter where
the drugs are sold under constant video surveillance. Cain's bill now
goes to the House.

Lafleur said his measure does not require the surveillance or require
the buyer to produce a photo ID to obtain the cold or sinus medicine
with ephedrine, as mandated in Cain's bill.

Lafleur's bill sets a penalty of up to two years in jail, a maximum
fine of $2,000 or both for the sale of more than three packs of the
medication. The bill also makes it a crime for anyone to sell or
distribute ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine when the
seller knows the drugs will be used to make crystal meth or another
illegal drug.

Those who do, Lefleur said, face a minimum of two years and a maximum
of five years in jail, a fine of as much as $10,000 or both.

Cain said his bill is tougher because it requires the buyer to sign a
log and produce a photo ID to get the medication. The log must show
how many packs of the ephedrine or similar substances were purchased.

Cain's bill, which exempts gel caps and liquids, subjects violators to
a maximum fine of $500 for a first offense and as much as $1,000 for
subsequent offenses. 
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