Recent anti-drug efforts by Iowa’s leaders are prompting fast action in a neighboring state. Nebraska lawmakers are crafting legislation designed to restrict the sale of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in meth. Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman says Iowa’s new law, considered the country’s toughest, was the primary motivation. Heineman says Iowa’s new law forces “meth makers to pick up shop and move elsewhere. The last thing I want is for our state to become a preferred destination.” Mirroring Iowa’s new law, Nebraska’s proposed law would take cold and allergy drugs off the shelves and put them behind the counter in pharmacies, where they could be more closely controlled. Sixteen states have passed or are considering similar legislation. Heineman urges Nebraska lawmakers to move quickly. He says “Iowa and Missouri have passed tough legislation aimed at combatting domestically-made meth. It is time for Nebraska to throw down the gauntlet against this drug. The longer we wait, the more attractive we become (to meth makers).” The bill would require age limits to buy pseudoephedrine products, I-D from the buyer and would limit the amout of the drugs that could be bought from a given store in a 24-hour period, in addition to tougher penalties for meth dealers.
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