Pseudoephedrine is still available -behind the counter-. You literally just have to ask the pharmacist for it.
Let’s not turn grad students having a laugh into an actual statement on public policy.
Let’s not turn grad students having a laugh into an actual statement on public policy.
So how exactly do the costs/benefits on this "public policy" sum out?
Benefits:
• some grandstanding politicians enjoy the superficial appearance of being "tough on meth"
Costs:
• Americans waste $billions on an ineffective placebo decongestant
• Legitimate manufacturers of a working medicine, pseudoephedrine hcl, lose sales due to extra cost/effort/stigma associated with the purchase. They shift real productive resources – inputs & worker hours – to making & marketing placebos instead.
• Larger cross-border criminal organizations – of the kind that regularly murder politicians south-of-the-border – grow in market-share, sophistication, & power.
• Meth continues to be available at high volume, & low costs, unaffected by the pseudoephedrine limits.
• Recent meth formulations – likely prompted by the limits on the pseudoephedrine-process – seem to create a stronger & more-destructive addiction among abusers: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/11/the-new...
If we don't listen to 'grad students having a laugh' who are pointing out the wasteful absurdities of 'public policy', we'll keep such nonsense destructive rules indefinitely.
The 'serious folks' among politicians & suited 'public-policy' types are derelict in their duties.
Are you suggesting my neighborhood friendly drug dealer could hook me up with some real sudafed? Might be nicer than trying to get it from the pharmacy when I need it.
Because yeah, your neighborhood dealer would make his own meth and would probably have lots of Sudafed.
Then you show your drivers license and the pharmacist records it and you pay and finally walk out with your sudafed. If you want to buy several boxes because it's allergy season, well too bad, you can't buy 2 boxes today, you have to come back tomorrow for the second one.
It's actually easier to buy as a prescription, then the Dr can write you a prescription for any amount you need/want.
Every time you buy the stuff from the pharmacist, they're logging the purchase in a national DB and you're signing an acknowledgement that it's a huge felony to go beyond the limit. But they never tell you where you are vs the limit, and the limits aren't clearly stated. End result: chilling effect.
My mom timed her purchases incorrectly (family of 5 with mom shopping for all at the time) and went past the limit. After that she was flagged and had to have an actual doctor's prescription in order to purchase pseudoephedrine for 6-12 months. That is a HUGE hurdle for most people, and doctors don't want to see people who have cold symptoms. Heck, I was turned away from a CVS Minute Clinic recently because I had COVID like symptoms in the last 7 days. As in refused to see me, even though I had recently tested negative for COVID and had a fever + persistent cough.
I ran out and wanted to buy some at the local cvs. Now, I’m not a US citizen but I’ve been here a few years already and am a permanent resident. I do not have a US state ID or a US driving license, and in my many years it has _never_ been a problem. Everyone was always happy with my green card as my ID - bars, domestic flights, international flights back to USA, bank account openings etc. But not for purchasing pseudoephedrine at CVS…
I literally stood there with my green card and my European passport and was begging the cvs clerk to sell it to me, but the told me it’s impossible, system doesn’t accept those IDs (and they tried, even showed me their computer screen). And so I had to leave empty handed and with a runny nose, and came back later with an American friend to buy it…
Not to put too fine a point on it, but... at least this you can't stop me from doing.
Most doctors will just write you a prescription and you can get it delivered to your home. Super easy.