Oregon Drug Law Affects Allergy Sufferers

The Associated Press reports: Allergy sufferers in Oregon are now required to have a prescription to buy allergy medicines that contain the decongestant pseudoephedrine. These medicines, which include Sudafed, Claritin-D, and NyQuil, were previously sold over-the-counter.

The new law represents Oregon's latest effort to control production of the dangerous drug methamphetamine. Pseudoephedrine is a main ingredient in methamphetamine.

Pharmacists and consumers have mixed feelings about the law. Most people agree that the law will slow illegal production of methamphetamine, but others are worried that people who don't have enough money for a doctor visit may never receive the medicine they need.

‘It's going to be a pain,’ said consumer Celly Howards. ‘But in the papers you read all the time about that drug [meth] and what it does.’

4 thoughts on “Oregon Drug Law Affects Allergy Sufferers

  1. sidwisc October 20, 2006 / 1:21 pm

    RESEARCH REPORT

    Evaluating Indiana’s precursor law: seizing fewer clandestine meth labs while precursor violators go unfettered

    This was a paper presented at:
    Annual Meeting, Midwest Criminal Justice Association
    September 29, 2006
    Chicago, Illinois

    James W. Steward
    P&S Consulting Company Inc, Terre Haute, IN

    Property of P&S Consulting Company Inc – May be reproduced with authors permission
    © 2006 P&S Consulting Company Inc – Terre Haute, Indiana
    http://www.psconsultinginc.com – 812-249-6156 – [email protected]

    ABSTRACT
    P&S Consulting Company of Terre Haute, Indiana conducted a 12-month study spanning July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. The study measured three key aspects of the new Indiana methamphetamine (Meth) precursor law, State Enrolled Act 444, effective July 1, 2005: First, the study measured the number of state law violators produced by identification of electronic and/or signing paper logging form for ephedrine or pseudoephedrine (PSE) sales and the number of warrants and arrests issued based on the identification of the log information. Second, the study cross referenced the quantity of monthly precursor store transactions with the number of precursor violators to find the monthly and yearly percentage of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine product getting into the hands of violators. Third, the study investigated if precursor law violators were in-county residents or out-of-county residents. The study was conducted in three meth plagued southwestern Indiana counties; Daviess, Knox and Vigo. Knox County (pop.39,255) has been one of the top six (6) counties in Indiana with the most clandestine methamphetamine labs seized from 2001 to 2004. Total labs seized in this time period, 293 labs. Daviess County (pop. 29,820) has been in the top ten (10) of most clandestine methamphetamine labs seized for two out of the four years, 2001 to 2004. Total labs seized in this time period, 103 labs. Vigo County (pop.101,400) has led the State of Indiana in most clandestine methamphetamine labs seized three out of four years, from 2001 to 2004. Total labs seized in this time period, 565 labs.
    INTRODUCTION
    The abuse of ephedrine in American culture dates back over 75-years. Ephedrine abuse can be traced back to the start of World War II when the U.S. Army supplied troops with millions of ephedrine tablets to increase their war fighting stamina and suppress appetite. This mass distribution of ephedrine tablets should not be confused with the mass distributing of methamphetamine by Nazi Germany to their infantry soldiers on the Russian front for similar reasons. Even today, methamphetamine is often confused with ephedrine which is its precursor. After World War II ephedrine abuse creped into America's society and lifestyle especially in the 1980’s. During this time, America began to see illicit manufacture of methamphetamine, especially in the pacific coast states. The driving force behind this manufacturing was fueled by two groups, west coast motorcycle gangs and the steadily growing group of “mom & pop” labs. The “mom & pop” labs group produces only for their social network – (supplying friends, family and own personal consumption). Methamphetamine spread throughout Oregon and Washington between 1992 and 1996. The spread of methamphetamine to northern states was mostly attributed to mass amounts of pseudoephedrine that was smuggled across Canada to the United States. As of 1996, a wave of methamphetamine manufacturing & trafficking in the United States was still being pushed by two forces; motorcycle gangs and the steady manufacturing by “mom & pops labs”. The wave soon engulfed the central plain states and the midwest. By 2001, methamphetamine trafficking, dealing and manufacturing completed its spread across the United States, far beyond its pacific coast origins. Another trend noticed in 2001 was the growing and controlling interest in trafficked methamphet

  2. John Coleman June 20, 2007 / 7:28 am

    There are some factual errors in the above report by James W. Steward and I've listed them below. I am not familiar with the state laws described in Mr. Steward's report and so I am unable to assess the validity of the statements referring to them.
    1. All federal, state and local legislation has been aimed at controlling the growth of methamphetamine production and tracking imports and restricting sales of precursor chemicals.” This is not exactly so. Many of the regulations, specifically the 1988 Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act, were designed to regulate precursor substances used to manufacture drugs other than methamphetamine.
    2. “The Combat Meth Act classifies pseudoephedrine as a schedule V controlled substance….” This is incorrect. The CMEA created a new category, called “scheduled listed chemical products” in which ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine were statutorily listed in the act. Some states have designated pseudoephedirne a “Schedule V” controlled substance under the state uniform narcotic acts but this has no effect on the federal law and is not a consequence of the federal law.
    3. “The act limits person’s purchases of products containing pseudoephedrine to 9.0 grams per 30-day period or 3.6 g per 7-day period.” This is in error. There is no “7-day period” limitation in the CMEA. The law imposes a daily sales limit of 3.6 gm of pseudoephedrine but a purchaser is free within a 30-day period to purchase an aggregate total of 9.0 gms (or 7.5 gm aggregate total in 30-day period if purchased by mail-order).
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  3. londonhydro March 3, 2008 / 11:08 pm

    So much for the accuracy of the Okla. law on allowing law abiding citizens to obtain allergy medications like Claritin D. I tried to buy more than 20 pills in less than 30 days and walmart would not sell it to me. I'm damn tired of the govt. telling me what medicine I can buy. I have the choice now of either doing without for 10 days, ateal it or get someone to buy it for me.

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