Lawmaker wants to ban drugs like Sudafed

associated press ^ | January 10, 2005

[Dog Gone]

I'm not disputing the horrors of meth. What I'm saying is that these measures won't stop it. We've made it pretty inconvenient to grow marijuana or to import cocaine. The notion that making me sign for Sudafed at the pharmacy is going to seriously impact the meth industry is naive.

Sure, you can probably point to local successes where such measures have been implemented, but I doubt there's been a reduction in meth use. The manufacturing of it has simply shifted to a more convenient spot.

Ban Sudafed entirely in the US and you'll have it made across the border. You haven't accomplished a damn thing except to punish allergy sufferers.

[GOPrincess]

It's an interesting contrast that the same liberals who are horrified at the notion that our library records could be checked with probable cause in the name of homeland security are perfectly comfortable collecting personal data and invading the privacy of law-abiding citizens without any probable cause whatsoever.

I am deeply disturbed to read tonight that Republican Senator Jim Talent is co-sponsoring a bill with Sen. Feinstein to regulate drugs like Sudafed, that will include computerized records of all purchases (to make sure you don't buy your monthly quota at more than one store).

As a chronic allergy sufferer who has tried many other medications without success and relies on Sudafed to help me breathe at night, I am truly bothered that thousands upon thousands of law-abiding citizens are going to be tracked, regulated, inconvenienced, and find it harder to obtain the medicines they need, whether because they're locked in a cabinet (ever tried to find someone to open the film cabinet at Vons when you need it?), because stores have stopped carrying these products, or for related reasons.