Drug Offenders Now Need Prescription For Cold Medicines

INDIANAPOLIS -- The House and the Senate Tuesday overwhelmingly passed bills that would block someone convicted of a drug crime from buying certain cold medicines without a prescription.

The bills block those convicted of drug-related offences from buying cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the most common recipes for methamphetamine production.

The Senate bill’s author Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, said the legislation targets those who are a threat to the spread of meth production in Indiana – the state remains number one in the country for its number of meth labs.

“What we’re attempting to do is find a way that we can cut down on the meth problem in the state of Indiana and not harm our honest, law-abiding citizens,” Young said.

Senate Bill 161 would allow someone drug offenders to purchase cold drugs containing pseudoephedrine if they have a prescription.

The Senate legislation mirrors a House measure authored by Dave Frizzell, R-Indianapolis, who said the effort ensures law-abiding citizens aren’t inconvenienced.