By Ap
Tulsa, OK – Lawmaker: Lobbyist defeated bill targeting meth
(Information in the following story is from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com)
TULSA, Okla. (AP) A state lawmaker says a lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry helped defeat a bill that targeted the sales of common cold medicines containing a key ingredient in methamphetamine.
The bill that died during the legislative session would have required a prescription for the purchase of tablet forms of medicines containing pseudoephedrine.
State Rep. Doug Cox said during the Tulsa City Council Meth Summit on Friday that the pharmaceutical lobby places more importance on company profits than they do on the illegal use of their products.
A spokeswoman for a group that represents the makers and distributors of nonprescription drugs said consumers oppose the prescription requirement.
Elizabeth Funderburk of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association told the Tulsa World that criminals should be punished, not the consumers who rely on the medicines.