House OKs requiring prescription for cold medicine

Bill, which applies to drugs used to make meth, goes to Senate

Statesman Journal
July 21, 2005
Peter Wong

Oregon would be the first date in the nation to fight the spread of methamphetamines by requiring prescriptions for some cold medications under legislation that passed the House on Wednesday.

The 5-4 vote said House Bill 2485 to the Senate, which unanimously approved a companion bill with stiffer penalties against makers of meth, an illegal stimulant, if children or seniors are present at houses used as labs.

Both chambers also approved $7.1 million in spending for added investigations and prosecution of drug makers and treatments of addicts.

"We are not going to eliminate methamphetamine by passing this bill," said Rep. Greg Macpherson, D-Lake Oswego, one of the bill's floor managers. "But we will reduce the local cooking of meth."

Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant that can be extracted to make methamphetamine. Police have estimated that home-grown labs account for about one-third of the illegal drug and that Mexican cartels supply the rest.

Rep. Jeff Kropf, R-Sublimity, was one of a handful of members who voted against the bill. He said giving prescription-only status for those medications would trigger a public backlash.
"I think this bill goes too far in regulation beyond common sense," he said.
Kropf said most of the callers to his talk show on Portland radio station KXL opposed the proposal. He likened it to the negative reaction to the 2003 law that limited school-zone speeds around the clock.

Well I always wondered if things could get any dumber and I guess the answer to that is, "yes".

This bill, is just another excuse to make up on the impact inadequacies of law enforcement.

I speak from experience, when there was a drug house next door to my house. My neighbors and neighborhood watch constantly reported activity to the local police who did absolutely nothing (literally). You know the type. When different cars start showing up at all times of the night, stolen vehicles being parted in their backyard, etc.

The problem was solved, when the owner of the House (this being a rental property) decided that he wanted to sell the property. The owner did not believe the allegations that his rental property was a drug house, until a thorough inspection of the house when t he discovered numerous hidden compartments hollowed out in the walls and floors to hide drugs.

In a separate incident, as I'm getting ready to leave for work, I noticed a news team in front of my house filming the house across the street where the police just busted them for making methamphetamines.

I take comfort in knowing that the illegal drug activity will be squelched by the fact that the meth cook cannot see what he is doing because he cannot get cold medicine.

You got a really love this state.