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[bigbore442001]

My fiances mother has taken ill with a sinus infection and the related miseries with it. So we were asked to run a mission of mercy and went to the local CVS pharmacy. There we went through the isles of OTC cold and flu medicine. I summized that there must be some sort of epidemic as I saw a number of slots completely empty.

I asked the pharmacists what would be a good medicine as she asked for sinus and cold medication. I became aware of a new fact. All OTC medicines with pseudoephedrine are now at the main counter and you have to sign in a log for it.

My fiance and I went forward and she had to give her driver's license and the clerk recorded all the pertinent data for her . I commented to the clerk that it is like buying a gun.

The whole excuse for this invasion of privacy is to try and prevent the crystal meth problem. Personally, I think it is a load of crap. But who am I.

[Bill St. Clair]

Would be much better to just sell meth over the counter, for the same price as decongestants. There are no old speed freaks. They either stop doing speed or die young. As it should be. Darwin is a very good teacher.

[rockchucker]

The main result of these policies has been to move meth production to Mexico. Thus, more smuggling and immigration issues, thus leading to not just more "War on (Some) Drugs", but also more "War on Illegal Immigration" and thus more budget for DHS, DEA, ad nauseaum. And more power for the bureaucrats.

See, that's how the system "works".

[FreedomMonkey]

Yes, it's been like that for a couple or more years now. 

You used to be able to get cough syrup with codeine by signing a log book, but those days are long gone.  Now you have to see a doctor and pay for an office visit just to get a prescription to buy effective cough medicine. 

Claire had a couple of good blog entries this week on speed.

-FM

[Pagan]

Bill St. Clair:

Would be much better to just sell meth over the counter, for the same price as decongestants. There are no old speed freaks. They either stop doing speed or die young. As it should be. Darwin is a very good teacher.

rockchucker:

The main result of these policies has been to move meth production to Mexico. Thus, more smuggling and immigration issues, thus leading to not just more "War on (Some) Drugs", but also more "War on Illegal Immigration" and thus more budget for DHS, DEA, ad nauseaum. And more power for the bureaucrats.

See, that's how the system "works".

Well, you guys have pretty much summed up the whole drug game from both ends of the phamaceutical mess -- what ought to be done, and what is being done.
That’s quite a succinct treatise. Good going! 

[Erin]

*

[anachronism]

I made the remark to the pharmacist that I would not be registered like some sort of sex-offender, and stormed out. They didn't make the stupid law, but they were it primary enforcer.

[RagnarDanneskjold]

Bill St. Clair:

Would be much better to just sell meth over the counter, for the same price as decongestants. There are no old speed freaks. They either stop doing speed or die young. As it should be. Darwin is a very good teacher.

rockchucker:

The main result of these policies has been to move meth production to Mexico. Thus, more smuggling and immigration issues, thus leading to not just more "War on (Some) Drugs", but also more "War on Illegal Immigration" and thus more budget for DHS, DEA, ad nauseaum. And more power for the bureaucrats.

See, that's how the system "works".

Well, you guys have pretty much summed up the whole drug game from both ends of the phamaceutical mess -- what ought to be done, and what is being done.
That’s quite a succinct treatise. Good going! 

'zactly. The pharmacy we use was robbed recently. For cold medicine. WTF? Not morphine. Not codeine. Freakin' cold medicine for Spooner's sake. Why? Because our momma goobermint is protecting us from the bad bad meth-makers.    Don't make me laugh.     And I have to sign for cold medicine. And the good children's cold medicine we used to get is no longer readily available. And the pharmacists are overly precautious. The regs in Ohio say you have to show ID and sign for any OTC medication for which pseudoephedrine is the sole active ingredient. They have us sign for medication where it is simply an active ingredient. My wife uses Bronkaid. We have to sign for that. I'm bettin' my last nickel no meth user has to sign for his meth. I always comment to the pharmacist. "You know, this is not stopping them." and they agree. And I always throw out my acronym TMG - too much government. I can't find anyone who disagrees with me.

[enemyofthestate]

The whole excuse for this invasion of privacy is to try and prevent the crystal meth problem. Personally, I think it is a load of crap. But who am I.

It is load of crap.

The big meth producers are mostly in Mexico and use phenyl 2 propanone (P2P) as a precursor.  When the DEA made P2P -- a compund with no pharmacological or psychoactive properties -- a Schedule III controlled substance, the domestic "mom&pop" meth makers turned to pseudoephedrine.  Making it harder to get pseudoephedrine in the US is really just boosting the business for the P2P manufacturers outside the country.

[dannykay]

The best analysis of "the drug problem" that I've ever read is here: http://www.backwoodshome.com/columns/wolfe040601.html
It is one of Claire's Hardyville articles, and very informative. Everyone should read it.

[Mr. Bill]

I made the remark to the pharmacist that I would not be registered like some sort of sex-offender, and stormed out. They didn't make the stupid law, but they were it primary enforcer.

A few years ago, the law didn't require signatures and ID for pseudoephedrine, but most of our local stores were doing it anyway because the police asked them to.

I let the pharmacy assistant know how I felt about this, and she just got steamed in return, so it wasn't a good educational experience for her.

Nowadays, the law requires all this silliness, and my interactions at the pharmacy usually involve sharing some very cynical wry humor.  "Need my thumprint too? A DNA sample?"  "Ha ha, no, that's for next time."  They understand what's going on.  Sure, they're the front-line enforcers, but they and I will both go to jail if we make a free transaction in violation of The Law.

My last pseudoephedrine purchase tied up three pharmacy staff for about 0.5 person-hour total, trying to figure out how to get the computer to authorize this $4 transaction.  These folks are primed to become our allies.

[dogsledder54]

When this law was proposed, I wrote my congresscriminals to ask them not to vote for it, and the only one who wrote me back was Ben Nelson. He voted for it anyway. I think that writing those letters was a waste of time. They always do what is best for the government instead of what is best for the people, but I figure if more people would give them their opinions, maybe it would help. But things haven't gotten bad enough yet for the average "citizen" to care. By the time they DO care, it will be too late.