Colorado Senate Committee Defeats Bill Aimed at Meth Labs Through Cold Medicines

A Colorado Senate committee defeated a bill that would have made drugs containing pseudoephedrine available only by prescription. The bill aimed to further restrict the ability of methamphetamine labs to make the illegal drug.

Law enforcement and addiction specialists who want to stop methamphetamine labs advocated for the bill, The Denver Post reports. Pseudoephedrine, found in some cold and flu medicines, is a precursor ingredient in methamphetamine. There are already restrictions on buying a product with pseudoephedrine. Currently a person must show identification and have the medicine handed to them from behind the counter. Previously, the president of the Colorado Drug Investigators Association, Ernest Martinez, told the newspaper that these restrictions have not been enough to stop the abuse and sale of methamphetamine.

The majority of committee members said the law would have increased health care costs for both consumers and health providers. They also said the bill would restrict civil liberties for all because of the illegal actions of a small number of people.

The bill’s supporters note that there are more than 100 over-the-counter cold and flu drugs without pseudoephedrine.