Originally published March 17 2011
Missouri town approves measure to make cold medicines prescription only
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Following the lead of several other communities in the St. Louis, Mo., area, the city of Wildwood may soon be outlawing the over-the-counter (OTC) sale of cold and sinus medicines containing pseudoephedrine (PSE), a decongestant drug ingredient often used to make illegal methamphetamine drugs. The Wildwood City Council has granted tentative approval for the ban, which would allow the drugs to be dispensed by prescription only.
"We have neighbors to our west, to our south, who've all done the same," said Mayor Tim Woerther about the proposal, referencing the 30 other Missouri cities that have passed similar legislation. "They've seen some promising results in terms of the reduction of meth production and meth-related crime."
Methamphetamine, of course, is a highly-addictive stimulant drug that severely alters brain activity. Widespread abuse can lead to serious side effects including motor skill and verbal learning impairment, structural and functional brain changes involving emotion and memory, and general mental problems. And since PSE is a key ingredient in the production of methamphetamine, many producers take advantage of the lax laws concerning its purchase.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first allowed PSE-containing drugs to be sold OTC in 1976, but since that time many towns, cities, and even states have elected to make the medications available by prescription only in order to curb illicit sales. In 2005, the state of Oregon made all PSE drugs prescription only, and the city of Reno, Nev., is currently considering legislation to do the same.
In 2004, the FDA banned the natural herb ephedra from being sold because the agency insists that it poses "unacceptable health risks." However, the FDA continues to allow the sale of PSE, despite the fact that the synthetic drug is a derivative of ephedra (http://www.naturalnews.com/023395_FDA_ephedr...).
Sources for this story include:
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/03/15/wildw...
http://www.rgj.com/article/20110315/NEWS11/1...
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