METH BILL SHELVES COLD REMEDIES

May provide relief for ammonia industry

The Ohio House approved new limits on popular over-the-counter cold and allergy medicine used in methamphetamine production. Among the bills provisions:

• Medicines whose main ingredient is pseudoephedine must be kept behind a counter and sold onlly to people 18 or older.
• Consumers are limited to three, 20 tablet boxes per month and purchasers must sign for the pills.
• Gel-tab versions are not subject to the new restrictions because they can not be used in meth production.

The legislation was unanimously passed by the Senate in October and now only needs to be signed by the Governor.

Ohio law enforcement officers busted 429 meth labs lat year, up from 14 in 1999.