Lock Up Your Cold Medicines
August 1, 2005
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Posted by Aubrey Turner
The new Texas law that forces stores to lock up anything with pseudoephedrine in it goes into effect today. It requires stores to get ID from purchasers and keep a log of all sales. It’s supposedly “for the children” and to prevent people from cooking up meth in small labs.
Frankly, I don’t think this is going to put much of a dent in the meth supply. First, the majority of it is coming over the Mexican border via couriers (who cross with the other illegals). If I didn’t know better, I’d almost be inclined to believe that this bill was written at the behest of the big illegal drug labs south of the border. If it has any effect on the small labs, it would likely cut down on their competition with the big ones in Mexico.
Given the law of unintended consequences, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the meth cookers start targeting delivery trucks to get their supplies. Alternately, they might also start using networks of “buyers” who go around to different stores. I just don’t see this having much of a dent in the overall availability of meth.
In the end I suspect this will only end up inconveniencing people like me who rely on Claritin-D. I use it year-round, since I seem to be allergic to a select group of things that always seem to be in the air (although I get it worse when the mold count goes up).
Categories: Random Ramblings
It’s been a while since I worried about the international drug trade, and it changes rapidly, but last time I checked the Mexicans were going into the Meth business in a big way. The customer base is changing (moving away from the rednecks, bikers, etc. and more toward a younger, “hip” crowd), but there are still plenty of the old time meth users and cooks out there. As recently as within the last year, I have looked down in the parking lot of my local Wal Mart to see several hundred empty blister packs from Wal Phed packs laying on the ground.
Well, I have to eat my words. But, at least I gave myself a little crawfishing room in my original comment. Seems that the Mexican Meth Makers have made it so much easier to buy their product that even former cooks on this side of the Rio Grande are switching.
I’d considered the same issue (about the crossover between the Mexican meth dealers and “redneck” meth users). However, as you’ve seen, the market can sometimes make for strange bedfellows.
Groups that otherwise wouldn’t be likely to associate with one another can be brought together if there’s enough demand and money involved.
I was surprised that tylenol flu has to be obtained from the pharmacy department. I almost walked out of walmart thinking they didn’t carry it. Since this is a flu medicine that isn’t pure antihistamine (e.g. it has acetaminophen for pain relief and other medication for flu ailments) one would think ths “watered-down” meth ingredient wouldn’t be cost-effective for a meth lab-rat. Hence, why even bother putting it behing-the-counter? Stupid.
David F.
This is absolutely ridiculous. It took me 15 minutes to get a package of Claritin D (well—Generic Wal-Mart equivalent), which I take daily and need to lead a “normal” life, as it is the only thing I can take that doesn’t immediately put me to sleep. My allergies are horrible, as are my husband’s.
They took my driver’s license, my driver’s license number, and recorded my address and phone number.
We USED to purchase 2 packages a month of Sam’s Club generic equivalent, but have been informed that it has been discontinued (though so far, they do still show as available on their web site – for pickup only). Sam’s Club were $13.84 for 30.
Now the cheapest I’ve been able to find [so far] seems to be $8.79 for 10… not to mention the long line and my STRONG objection to being entered into a gov’t database every time I purchase it.
This only hurts the HONEST allergy and cold sufferers. Those using the product for illegal purposes WILL be able to get around this new law, one way or another.
I can’t think of a law that has inconvenienced, annoyed, frustrated me, and affected my life as this one has.
David,
I guess somebody has figured out how to get the stuff they need out of it. They probably just have to use LOTS of it.
Annoyed,
I ran into this yesterday for the first time, since I needed some more Claritin-D. Like you I’d been using the Sam’s generic equivalent, which they have stopped carrying. They entered me into their computer like I was filling a prescription with them. It appears they have to use the same type of log they do for prescription drugs.
In the long run, all this will do is shut down the small labs. The Mexican smugglers will just take up the slack. In the meantime, the rest of us who use allergy medicines will be treated like criminals.
I’m tempted to ask the doctor for a prescription for Allegra-D. It’s not as convenient as Claritin-D, but overall it would be a whole lot easier to deal with, since my insurance would send me a 90-day supply by mail.