Posted on 04/22/2005 12:34:41 PM PDT by ellery
Over-the-counter medications widely used as nasal decongestants and better known under the brand names Sudafed and Actifed would be banned in Minnesota by August 2006 under a far-reaching proposal that passed the Minnesota House on Thursday. The effort is to deal with the manufacture of the stimulant methamphetamine.
If the measure becomes law, it could be the first time in the country that the products, which are otherwise legal medications, would be banned in pill form.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Before the ban passed, another amendment restricting where the precursors could be sold passed 94 to 39. The amendment limits the sale of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine to pharmacies, eliminating selling small "personal packs" of the medications in such places as convenience stores and gas stations. The amendment passed despite arguments from some that eliminating sales from convenience stores and gas stations was "anti-rural" because of a paucity of pharmacies in some areas. The bill seemed to gather momentum after it was argued that the ban would level the playing field for rural and metro consumers.
Typical government reasoning. Reps didn't like that sale restrictions discriminated against rural customers...but as long as urban and suburban customers also cannot buy the product, it's okay.
Well, they are trying to put the cold remedy industry out of business - have you tried to buy just about ANY product without pseudoephedrine lately? Took me twenty minutes to find one last month.
Well, daggone, let's ban aspirin while we're at it and just force everyone with bad colds or sinus problems to tough it out.... Geez!
Oops -- I meant, "Minnesota." "St. Paul" would have worked, too. Sigh.
I think it's a conspiracy of the allegra and clariton companies. They hire strung out junkies to manufacture meth so they can get actifed and sudafed outlawed.
Fiendishly clever.
Typical government reasoning. Punish the innocent to try and stop criminals.
Yup, our Democrat controlled "lets just PASS a law and problem solved" legislature in action. I guess these idiot Democrats think nobody is smart enough to drive to South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa or just STEAL the drugs. Once again, the 99.9% good people pay for the acts of the .1% bad people and the Democrats think the solution is to make life tougher on the 99.9%.
Amazing.
This is stupid! Let's ban ALL things that can be used to make drugs or other illegal substances. Pans, pressure cookers, stoves, glass bottles, water............etc.......
Wow this is weird.
Well, this sucks! I get Allergies in spring and Fall. They're easy to deal with. I take a generic pseudephedrine pill every six hours and my nose dries up. I feel fine.
I live in MN. I suspect that this thing is going to end up going away, once people realize that they can't take this inexpensive, effective allergy medication.
I don't mind if I have to go to the pharmacy counter to get it, if that's what it takes. But an outright ban is just ridiculous.
If the bill is passed in both houses and signed by the Governor, it'll get overthrown. More likely is that it will die in the committee that gets the two houses' bills worked out or when it reaches the Governor's desk.
This is just plain stupid.
I know how to make a bong out of a coke can.
"I know how to make a bong out of a coke can."
Of course you do. Doesn't everyone?
>>>>Yup, our Democrat controlled "lets just PASS a law and problem solved" legislature in action.
The MN house is republican controlled.
patent
I made one out of a plastic human skull replica in college.
I thought those were called "steamboats" or am I showing my age?........
been hearing new stories about teens using medicines to get high so why don't we ban all over the counter medications? and all prescribed ones too!
what a bunch of socialist!...everyone must suffer to "help" those who need it.
Jeez louise, what the heck else is there to use for a decongestant?
I dunno .. some people gotta use a Pepsi can instead.
You can make a pipe from a metal kazoo as well...
Thats far out man.
Local stores (Arkansas and Oklahoma) have had to move those 'behind the counter.'
Trouble is, there are 8-10 stores in a row of about 2 miles (and this is a somewhat rural town of 10,000), so a creative person could stop at each store, purchase 2 to stay under the radar, and end up with 20 packets within an hour's time. (I don't know how many one needs to 'brew' their meth or what they buy large quantities for. I could easily go through 3 or 4 packs a month just for my sinuses.]
One store clerk told me at checkout that they have to notify the state of the quantity of each such purchase. I can see that if a person uses a traceable -- check or credit card. But, if someone pays cash, the report means very little.
These kinds of laws/restrictions only affect the people who use them for their intended purposes. They are ridiculous laws, but it makes legislators think they are doing something.
Gun Grabber mentality for over the counter drugs........
Bank robbers drive cars from robberies ....ban cars !
< /CHICKENLITTLE>
Stay safe MM
Also, you are making an assumption that they "purchase" them. They usually don't "purchase" them...
In related news: The house voted to ban cars because too many people are dying in car accidents. They also passed legislation prohibiting anyone from taking their hands out of their pockets in public, since the overwhelming majority of violent offenders withdraw their hands from their pockets before assaulting their victims.
Claritin-D has, in addition to loratadine, a pretty good dose of pseudephedrine.
When Sudefed and Actifed are outlawed only outlaws will have Sudafed and Actifed.
There used to be a different ingredient for decongestants available- it was the active ingredient in the old Dimetapp. It was PPA, but I can't remember what the stands for.. It was actually a superior product but was banned in 99 or 00 because a few women had strokes after taking it. I was not happy then, and I am not happy, now. For people with chronic sinus problems, we need to have our decongestants!!
It was phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride and it was banned in 2000.
I might be wrong on this (not being the type to cook up a pot o' crank in my spare time...) but I remember reading that only the drugs that have pseudoephedrine as the only active ingredient can be used to make speed. (Sorry for what I think was my worst sentence ever.) Here in Texas, those are the only ones that are being pulled off the shelf and put behind the pharmacist's counter.
Can you make a bowl out of a potato too?
Umm.. no.
"If the measure becomes law, it could be the first time in the country that the products, which are otherwise legal medications, would be banned in pill form."
===
Well, people in Minnesota better flood their Legislator's offices and governor's office with protests.
No kiddding. It seem simple. If someone steps up to the counter with 80 boxes of Sudafed, call the cops.
I once made a bog from a Pringles can.
If someone steps up to the counter with 80 boxes of ammunition, call the cops...........
Something to learn...
The companies who make the medicines will probably challenge that state bans as intefering with federal FDA standards!
That was the first step around here. They banned sales of more than 10 or so boxes at one time. Just made for more stops for the meth heads.
Why don't they just tell the truth? The ban is for one reason only...
because the names reveal the true patent holder -- The "fed" !!! ;-))
having a springtime cold, I just got back from the grocery store getting a box of sudafed.
It looked like the straight products had been pulled behind the counter, but combo products sudafed/tylenol were available on the shelf.
I don't mind having to ask for the product, but it does seem a little silly...those who really want the speed precursors will find a way to get them.
They should have banned Actifed a LONG time ago. Nasty, nasty stuff. I'd take a cold over induced vomiting any day.
Its a potato right?
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Moral Relativism in the Rainforest of Diversity (Real Live Cannibal Story)
In Oklahoma, you have to go to the pharmacy, and sign for the meds with pseudoephedrine...and you can only get one box.
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