Issue must be addressed with consumers in mind

Gov. Bill Haslam has offered an acceptable compromise in Tennessee’s efforts to control the main ingredient used in making methamphetamine. Last week, Haslam proposed legislation that would require a prescription for a state resident to acquire more than a 20-day supply of cold and allergy medicines containing pseudoephedrine.The idea, the Republican governor said, is to make it harder for meth manufacturers to lay their hands on large supplies of pseudoephedrine without making it more difficult for law-abiding Tennesseeans to buy cold medicine containing the ingredient.Lawmakers in Nashville have been debating a bill to require a prescription for all over-the-counter drugs containing pseudoephedrine. Proponents of the legislation say it is aimed at curbing the scourge of methamphetamine. We, however, believe such a measure would just further inconvenience honest citizens without making a major dent in curtailing meth production. Recently, the state Comptroller’s Office released a report that suggested there is “no provable correlation” to be found between prescription-only laws and a decline in meth lab seizures in Oregon or Mississippi — two states where a prescription is required to purchase pseudoephedrine.Tennessee law already requires pharmacies to place cold and sinus tablets that contain pseudoephedrine behind the counter. Buying such drugs requires a customer to show photo identification to a store clerk and then sign for the purchase.The customer’s personal information is placed into a government database that prevents an individual from purchasing more than three boxes in a month’s time. We know meth (which is often called the “poor man’s cocaine”) continues to be a serious problem in our state. Not a day goes by that we don’t have an item in our paper about a meth lab bust in our region.Tennessee legislators are doing the right thing by addressing this issue, but they should also take steps to protect law-abiding consumers.



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