Toughening laws on cold meds and meth

[angie]

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ctmethpenalty0220.artfeb20,0,3911742.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

Connecticut is moving quickly to shove certain cold medicines, which contain ingredients for making methamphetamine, behind the pharmacy counter and hand out longer prison stretches to people who make or sell the highly addictive drug.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell is expected to announce as early as today that she is following through on her earlier pledge and has teamed with state lawmakers to toughen laws concerning meth.

Since Connecticut's first two known meth labs were raided June 8, 2005, in East Hampton, public awareness of meth's social, public safety and environmental consequences and calls to stem its rise have mushroomed.

Rell's announcement also comes as Gary J. Messier, a 30-year-old East Hampton man arrested with his girlfriend and a second man in the June raid, prepares to be sentenced Thursday in New Haven federal court.

Messier pleaded guilty in November to possessing pseudoephedrine, one of the illicit drug's active ingredients, with intent to manufacture meth. He faces a maximum 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

"The changes I am proposing will move us forward in the fight against meth," Rell said. "We need to get tougher laws on our books this year to send the message that the sale or possession of this drug will land you in jail."

In a bill (HB 5029) before the judiciary committee in the General Assembly, Rell proposes to classify pseudoephedrine and another active ingredient, ephedrine, as controlled substances.

Both ingredients are found in certain over-the-counter cold remedies. This measure would make it necessary to obtain them by prescription.

Okay-I understand that meth is a big problem and blah blah blah-but THIS is taking it a bit far. So every time I have a sinus headache, or a cold, I have to go to the doctor for a prescription? Here are a few medicines with pseudophedrine as their active ingredient.

 

Tylenol Sinus Daytime/Nighttime

Sudafed

Robitussin Extra Strength Cough & Cold

Nyquil/Dayquil

Actifed

Triaminic Cough & Cold

Theraflu

 

So, in short, the majority of cold medicines will now be available by prescription only. Got the sniffles? Go to the doctor. This, in turn, will raise already ridiculously high insurance premiums. Less people will be able to afford health insurance, etc... I cannot see this being a good move for anyone.

[Komrade Vostok Hazard]

They need to make them without the ephidrine...

[RoyalOrleans]

Who cares? I don't. So they manufacture crystal meth out of if, but we also have freewill. So those of us with good minds will use it correctly, while the weak minded mind burnt meth-tards continue to abuse it.

 

If it wrecks a few homes, then its on the parents. Why should the law abiding, tax paying constituency suffer because of a handful of ne'erdowells?

[Lethalfind]

The drug companies will probably love it because they can charge more for their shit.

If you take it, it might be time to stock up.

[angie]

The drug companies will probably love it because they can charge more for their shit.

If you take it, it might be time to stock up.

I plan on it. Not that it'll be easy. Most chain stores now stock it in the pharmacy and take your lisence number every time you purchase it in order to monitor how much one individual is purchasing. Which pisses me the fuck off, because from April to August I'm almost constantly on Tylenol Sinus-well I WAS taking it because it was over the counter and easier than a trip to the doctor. Maybe not anymore.

[ImWithStupid]

Meth is the worst drug epidemic that the US has ever seen. The effects of the drug go far beyond the user themselves. Meth, and the addicts need to get money or trade items for meth, is the leading cause of property crimes in our area and many mid-western and western states at this time.

 

One of the problems is that it hasn't affected the east coast to this extent yet and may people don't know how horrible it is. I find it crazy that it makes the news that due to two labs found in Conn. they are doing this but most of the western states have hundreds of labs per year. Due to lobby efforts, by pharmaceutical companies in Congress, the attempts, by the DEA, to stop this epidemic in the mid 80's by restricting ephedrine and psudoephedrine availability was halted. Much due to the lack of the east coast congressmen knowing about the effects.

 

Here is a link to a great article and program about the effects of the drug on a population and what to expect in the future on the east-coast.

 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/view/

[Lethalfind]

I plan on it. Not that it'll be easy. Most chain stores now stock it in the pharmacy and take your lisence number every time you purchase it in order to monitor how much one individual is purchasing. Which pisses me the fuck off, because from April to August I'm almost constantly on Tylenol Sinus-well I WAS taking it because it was over the counter and easier than a trip to the doctor. Maybe not anymore.

 

A place you might try so you can buy in bulk is any of the places like Sams, Costco or BJ's, thats where I buy my over the counter medication and its incredibly cheap and in bottles so big you could use them as a door stop.

I buy generic Claritin at Costco that will last me 6 months that costs about 15 bucks, you can get a months worth at Wal-Mart for 13 bucks

[RoyalOrleans]

A place you might try so you can buy in bulk is any of the places like Sams, Costco or BJ's, thats where I buy my over the counter medication and its incredibly cheap and in bottles so big you could use them as a door stop.

I buy generic Claritin at Costco that will last me 6 months that costs about 15 bucks, you can get a months worth at Wal-Mart for 13 bucks

 

A BJ's just opened up in Duluth, about twenty five miles from my house. I went in there yesterday thinking I would be satisfied. No BJ!

[builder]

They need to make them without the ephidrine...

 

 

Ephedrine is the only ingredient that really works, but it tastes like crap, so they gotta disguise it a bit.

[Lethalfind]

A BJ's just opened up in Duluth, about twenty five miles from my house. I went in there yesterday thinking I would be satisfied. No BJ!

 

sorry, I should have warned you they don't have that type of service...

They do however have pretty good gas prices, however in my area Costco has a better price.

I also get the best deals on medication at Costco. The money I save on just my Claritin (antihistamine) alone more then pays for my membership.

[tizz]

Normally i am not for mandatory sentencing and such , but meth labs pose too much of a danger just inthe proccess of creating the shit. If one of those suckers go, they take quite a bit with them.

 

I say shut them all down. If there is a lab on your block, if the fumes don't get ya an explosion might

 

I plan on it. Not that it'll be easy. Most chain stores now stock it in the pharmacy and take your lisence number every time you purchase it in order to monitor how much one individual is purchasing. Which pisses me the fuck off, because from April to August I'm almost constantly on Tylenol Sinus-well I WAS taking it because it was over the counter and easier than a trip to the doctor. Maybe not anymore.

 

 

Try getting hold of locally collected honey. the pollen in the honey can do wonders for allergies. I would have gone broke on tylenol allergy without it when i was living in the southwest. the honey cleared it up completely within a week ad i was never bothered by allergies out ther after that

[angie]

Try getting hold of locally collected honey. the pollen in the honey can do wonders for allergies. I would have gone broke on tylenol allergy without it when i was living in the southwest. the honey cleared it up completely within a week ad i was never bothered by allergies out ther after that

You know what? I keep meaning to do that every spring, and by the time it gets here,it's too late and I'm running for the pharmacy for relief before my head explodes. Thanks for the reminder. I'll have to put it on my 'to do' list.

 

I buy generic Claritin at Costco that will last me 6 months that costs about 15 bucks, you can get a months worth at Wal-Mart for 13 bucks

You know, EVERYONE that I know who uses it swears it works wonders. Doesn't do a damn thing for me. The only thing I can get to do me any good is that Tylenol Allergy Sinus. But I need that added decongestant. Most of my allergy issue is sinus congestion. Who knows, maybe this year I won't need it....

[tizz]

The honey should be readily available all season. You can probably preorder it now. Just make sure to get a little bit of each flavor produced by local keepers. that should cover all your major allergy problems. I had never heard of this until I lived in the southwest and I can honestly say it's a live saver. I often restock again in the fall. The keepers should be able to give you a good guess of what plants the bees visit for each honey as they only collect nectar from a 1/2 mile radius around the hive

[Lethalfind]

You know what? I keep meaning to do that every spring, and by the time it gets here,it's too late and I'm running for the pharmacy for relief before my head explodes. Thanks for the reminder. I'll have to put it on my 'to do' list.

 

 

You know, EVERYONE that I know who uses it swears it works wonders. Doesn't do a damn thing for me. The only thing I can get to do me any good is that Tylenol Allergy Sinus. But I need that added decongestant. Most of my allergy issue is sinus congestion. Who knows, maybe this year I won't need it....

 

I take Claritin everyday, if I'm sick then its not going to do any good. I agree it certainly doesn't help my congestion either. I use a sinus spray called Flonase for my congestion. When I was pregnant I got sick and my doctor asked me "how long have you been congested like this" I replied "4-5 years as far as I can remember" thats when they gave me the Flonase. Allergies are so much fun.

[tizz]

I recently was perscribed flonase and hated it and I was SOOO happy to be told not to take it anymore.

[TheJenn88]

Yeah, we have an extreme problem of crystal meth around here. I could easily obtain some, and I'm just a kid - but that's how rampant it is.

 

But just because I can so easily get it doesn't mean I'm going to do it, much less become addicted to it.

 

It's the same with Tylenol. How many people wake up and say, "Oh, gee. I feel like getting addicted to tylenol. Let me go to the pharmacy." I mean, it's a completely absurd thought that the average person is going to get addicted to Tylenol.

 

It's a decision that people have to make, and if they're too fucking stupid to make the right one, it's their fault.

[angie]

Yeah, we have an extreme problem of crystal meth around here. I could easily obtain some, and I'm just a kid - but that's how rampant it is.

 

But just because I can so easily get it doesn't mean I'm going to do it, much less become addicted to it.

 

It's the same with Tylenol. How many people wake up and say, "Oh, gee. I feel like getting addicted to tylenol. Let me go to the pharmacy." I mean, it's a completely absurd thought that the average person is going to get addicted to Tylenol.

 

It's a decision that people have to make, and if they're too fucking stupid to make the right one, it's their fault.

The problem isn't them getting addicted to the cold medicine itself. Meth producers buy large quantities of OTC meds with said drugs, and use it in their meth lab to actually produce the meth. That's what they are trying to prevent.

I have no problem with these meds being stocked behind the pharmacy and needing to produce I.D. in order to purchase them. I think it's a great way to try and stop druggies from purchasing massive quantities to make meth with. I DO have a problem with it being available by prescription only. It is completely asinine. I know I'm surely not going to take a trip to the doctor's office because I have the sniffles.

[smutt butt]

A BJ's just opened up in Duluth, about twenty five miles from my house. I went in there yesterday thinking I would be satisfied. No BJ!

 

there is a bj's near me and they don't sell bj's either!!!!!! i think it's time for a lawsuit for false advertising!!

[smutt butt]

I take Claritin everyday, if I'm sick then its not going to do any good. I agree it certainly doesn't help my congestion either. I use a sinus spray called Flonase for my congestion. When I was pregnant I got sick and my doctor asked me "how long have you been congested like this" I replied "4-5 years as far as I can remember" thats when they gave me the Flonase. Allergies are so much fun.

 

Allegra-d does wonders for me. Claritin, sudafed, tylenol sinus etc, etc. turns me into a zombie.

[smutt butt]

Who cares? I don't. So they manufacture crystal meth out of if, but we also have freewill. So those of us with good minds will use it correctly, while the weak minded mind burnt meth-tards continue to abuse it.

 

If it wrecks a few homes, then its on the parents. Why should the law abiding, tax paying constituency suffer because of a handful of ne'erdowells?

 

Agreed. I wonder how many homes alcohol has ruined???????????

 

I will never understand why alcohol is legal but its illegal to grow your own pot.

[angie]

Agreed. I wonder how many homes alcohol has ruined???????????

 

I will never understand why alcohol is legal but its illegal to grow your own pot.

I'm right there with ya'. Maybe we should call Robert Stack. Have him do a special for us. Maybe one of the viewer's tips will lead us to the answer.

[Lethalfind]

Allegra-d does wonders for me. Claritin, sudafed, tylenol sinus etc, etc. turns me into a zombie.

 

I used to take Allegra however when I was able to get Claritin over the counter and so much more cheaply I switched. For the same money I would go back to Allegra because it worked better for me.

 

As for Flonase, I HATE spraying anything in my nose, hate hate hate it, however I saw over a matter of about a week that it completely cleared up my congestion. However its alcohol based and I'm told it can cause you to have nose bleeds, there are better products out there.