From Deseret News archives:

Sudafed maker acts to curb illicit meth labs

Published: Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004 10:43 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The maker of Sudafed is offering a new version of the cold and allergy medicine without an ingredient often used to produce the illegal and highly addictive drug methamphetamine in homemade labs.

Pseudophedrine will be replaced with another substance in a new product called Sudafed PE, which will become available Jan. 10 in the United States, Pfizer Inc. spokeswoman Erica Johnson said Wednesday. Pfizer will continue to offer the old Sudafed, too.

Johnson said the new formula will make it easier for consumers to buy the medication and could help curtail meth production.

In many states, pharmacists keep Sudafed and other cold medicines used to make meth behind a counter. Oklahoma requires that such medications be distributed by a pharmacist, a step also being considered in Indiana and other states hit hard by the drug epidemic.

"It's a matter of striking a balance between giving access to legitimate consumers of the medicine and preventing criminals from getting hold of the product to convert it to methamphetamine," Johnson said.

Johnson said the new formula has been sold for years in Europe and has proved safe and effective.

Story continues below
"Anything anybody can do to reduce the use of pseudophedrine to make meth is a good thing," said Eric Lawrence, program manager for an Indiana State Police unit that searches for clandestine drug laboratories.

Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration reported that more than 7,000 meth labs were dismantled nationwide.

The drug, a stimulant that can be injected, smoked or swallowed, has grown in popularity in recent years as its use and production have spread from the South and Southwest. It is most prevalent in California and the Midwest.

Indiana State Police expect to have dismantled 1,500 meth labs by the end of the year, up from 1,260 last year and just 27 in 1998.

Jim Braum, a pharmacist at the Oak Hill Pharmacy in Evansville who keeps Sudafed and other cold medicines containing pseudophedrine behind the counter, said he doubts the new Sudafed formula alone will curb meth production.

"The other pseudophedrine will still be out there," Braum said.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

Max said what every hardcore true BYU fan feels about Utah,it just adds the...

yes well America has been there since October 2001 and we will have 100,000...

With all of the ranker that exists within the rivalry - both teams and fans...

Cougs begin bowl preparations

Bring it SC fan. I want SC vs. BYU.

money does not make one happy. lack of money does not make one unhappy.

So sad! All our hearts go out to the family's involved! By far one of the...

Mike, I'm sure most Utah grads won't lose any sleep over Max's comments. As...

BYU says Hall incident resolved

'nuf said.

Scholars defend 'Messiah'

I hope and pray I will go to me deathbed with the unequivocal conviction that...

Perhaps if we as Americans took more ownership in the interests of the Nation...

Advertisements