A Sickness and an Update
Finally a new update! Last week I was sick with a head cold for a few days. It was the first time I’ve been sick in 2 or so years. I was really only down for one night so I guess I can live with that. It just so happens that allergy season started at exactly the same time. Out with the cold and in with a runny nose.
I decided to pick up some allergy medication in the hopes that I could eliminate the need to blow my nose once every 10 minutes. When I went to purchase generic Claritin-D (Loratadine and pseudoephedrine sulfate) I found that I had to take a notice to the cashier. I assumed it was to prevent theft. When I got to the register I found out that not only does a new law require me to produce ID but they record all of the information, including name, address, DOB, and ID number. The law is aimed at reducing production of methamphetamines (meth). Apparently Loratadine is used in the production of this illegal drug. Someone who has never known a meth head or the underground decided that passing such a law would help curb this problem. They obviously have no idea how ease it is to make a fake ID. Not including print time I could crank out a sheet of 8 IDs in less than an hour. It would be very easy for me to make a sheet of IDs with various names, addresses, and ID numbers and then use them at various stores to purchase Loratadine based medication.
This law does almost nothing to prevent the production of meth. It mearly allows the government to track allergy medication usage, something the government has no business doing. I’ve decided that I will no longer use Loratadine based medication. Instead I’ll use alternatives that are not tracked. I urge you to do the same.
I’ve done a brief search for information reguarding this new law but can’t seem to find anything. When I get a chance I plan on digging deeper and possibly writing a letter to representatives in the hopes of opening their eyes to the ridiculousness of the law.
on April 28, 2006 at 9:01 pm
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As far as I am aware, no such laws exist yet in the northeast. These “protection” actions have been undertaken without compulsion by independent businesses. Legislation to compel information gathering of consumers does exist in a number of states though, I know that at least New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona have such laws, as well as limitations of the amount that can be purchased per day per customer.
Medline has some excellent research on the matter, particularly concerning the extremely low percentage that OTC purchases contribute to actual meth production. In fact, up until a few years ago, most of the pseudoephedrine used in U.S. produced Meth was smuggled in by the Columbian cartels (this is well documented by the DEA) who had contracts with international pharmecutical labs to produce it in mass quantities! As usual, the federal government has been short sighted in addressing the situation, and chose to address the symptoms rather than the underlying causes.
There’s also a really spectacular documentary on PBS kicking about regarding the Meth epidemic that’s occuring in the western United States, and the utter lack of care in Washington D.C. because it isn’t locally visible. Loratadine isn’t the culprit, pseudo/ephedrine is, and as such, any purchases you make (Sudafed, CVS Generic Pseudoephedrine, etc) are probably so tracked. I’ve stopped buying it all together, and have just dealt with purchasing an extra box of tissues during my peak allergy season.
I think it’s a considerable waste of our tax money to submit law-abiding citizens to absurd regulations as a means of controlling meth production (which, of course, it doesn’t).
good luck Dan
Adam
on May 3, 2006 at 11:45 am
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Dan, I’ve got an update for your quest. Apparently just recently a bill passed at the federal level to limit purchases of otc pseudoephedrine to 3.5 grams per day.
Adam
on May 7, 2006 at 8:05 pm
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Thanks for the info. I’m sticking with Benadryl-D for bad days as I usually only need the nasal decongestant (Pseudoephedrine HCl) and sales aren’t tracked.