by V J Webb

Created on: February 06, 2009   Last Updated: April 01, 2009

Sudafed should not be a controlled drug. Pseudoephedrine, the only active ingredient in Sudafed, can be used to make methamphetamine. Products containing pseudoephedrine as the only active ingredient produce the highest yield and purity of methamphetamine. Products that have additional active ingredients can also be used but the yield and purity are not as good.

In September 2006, the Federal government passed legislation to limit the sale of any product containing pseudoephedrine as an active ingredient. In doing so they created an additional class of drug. They put these products behind the pharmacy counter and require a photo identification and signature to purchase. The buyer is also limited to the quantity that they can purchase. The limit is a 15-day supply per visit to the pharmacy and a 30-day supply per month. However, if they order from an Internet pharmacy, they can have a 30-day supply per order.

The only thing that this legislation accomplished is to make it harder for those that have a legitimate use for the product to get it. Consumers cannot purchase the product with the rest of the items in the basket. We now have to stand in line at the pharmacy and pay for the product separately. In addition, a pharmacy may close earlier than the store in which it is located. This places an additional hardship on those of us that work. We already have a method in place for controlling the dispensing of drugs. They call it a prescription. Adding an additional method to control drugs increases the cost of doing business and they pass on the cost to the consumer.

Although it hasn't, this legislation could result in reduced meth usage. However, it will increase the use of prescription pain killers and cocaine. Drug addicts do not stop using a drug because obtaining it is harder, they just switch to something they can more easily get. The one group of people that did benefit from the legislation is large illegal drug manufacturers. No more home meth labs only serves to increase the profits of the large manufacturers who are not getting the ingredients via a purchase at their local pharmacy. They say that those who do not know history are destined to repeat it. Prohibition did not stop alcohol consumption and this legislation will not decrease drug use.

The money wasted on this legislation would have been better spent on educating consumers on the long term effects of drug usage. We need to start focusing on why people start using drugs and fixing the cause of the problem instead of waiting until they are already addicted. Our government is spending too much of our money on feel-good legislation. They will keep on doing so until we tell them to stop.

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