Terrorists Get Sinus Headaches Too

The Patriot Act renewal, signed into law last week, contains a truly stupid provision that has nothing to do with terrorism.  Under the new law, pharmacies will have to check ID for buyers, and limit sales, of over-the-counter medications that contain precursors for methamphetamine.  Judging from my experience at CVS today, the net drain on the American economy may ruin us.

A young man wanted to buy some cold medication at a CVS in Boston.  There ensued a long discussion among the young man and two CVS employees, neither of whom was certain whether the medication required ID for purchase.  So they read the label very carefully, trying to find the restricted ingredient.  But they didn't know its name.  Their ignorance of the law and the medicine neither deterred their efforts nor improved their literacy.  After several minutes of this, the customer asked why they needed ID in the first place.  They didn't know.  They said they thought maybe it was a new law.  Giving in, the customer produced his ID and they rang him up.  Here's the funny part: the medication did not contain any pseudoephedrine (next in line, I was reading over a shoulder), and they didn't record his ID.  Even though they were trying to comply with the new law.

Why did I stand there and watch for those five minutes in Retail Hell, rather than explain things?  It was funny.  Like watching chimpanzees trying to read a dictionary.  (Please note: although those are all Republicans, a large number of Democrats voted for this provision and it was co-sponsored by the lefties' best friend, Dianne Feinstein.  Plenty of idiot hats to go around.)

Stop the insanity!

Comments

[Ryan]

While I have no clue why this would be in the Patriot Act (its a hugely detrimental act anyway), I think this is a much needed rule of all pharmacies. Coming from a meth-ridden rural part of Indiana and having a few friends surcumb to the prevalence of cheap meth (and die from it), anyway to battle this drug is fine by me. I'll gladly show my ID to buy cold medicine if it means less meth in the world.

[Aaron Weber]

Well, if it meant less meth I'd show my ID to buy cold medicine. But it doesn't mean less meth. It just shifts production around.

[Jody]

I bought cold medicine for myself (at Target) and they asked for ID. That made me nervous...what the hell was I buying, anyway? She said they record it and you're only allowed to buy so much per week/month. My husband sent me back to buy a different brand/formula two days later and I was actually nervous that the Sudafed Police would put the cuffs on me. Apparently regular Sudafed is on the list but Sudafed PE is not, but the pharmacist told me it didn't work as well. Oh, and they don't have it on the shelf, you have to take a little card and bring it to the Pharmacy counter. All this for Sudafed?

[creamy]

absolutely right. whether or not this meth law is a good one, it should not be in the terrorism bill.

[Erik]

The recent Frontline on meth was fascinating:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/view/

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