They should still have to prove he was using them inappropriately... That should have
been written into the bill.

Wouldn't have been simpler to write a law requiring a prescription for these "precursors"?,,,,,,,,,,,,no, that wouldn't do. The pharmaceutical companies make a nice buck marketing often useless across-the-counter preparations. And besides, we're grown up around here and know that idiotic laws that give the DEA and it's sister SS goons more power are just the ticket for hungry politicians and a lazy media.

What's happened to freedom in the US?

"Today's arrest is a warning to those who violate the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act."

And that is the point. It really matters not if he was or wasn't using them innapropriately. What matters is that people KNOW that Big Government is watching their purchases and WILL arrest them if they purchase anything suspect.

Now I know that people have to recover from a cold naturally! No more of this medicine BS.

I knew the government was good for something :>D

I like to use ephedrine for medicinal purposes. i think It's sad that just because dumbass pple turn it into meth that everyone suffers. That just proves that the DEA sucks! Peace!

This law has just increased the amount of meth produced other ways and given the dea an excuse to prosecute relatively innocent people. Then they can confiscate their money and properties even before a trial thanks to drug laws.

Have a great day! Do it! >:-]

I have chronic allergies and must take a decongestant/antihistamine every day. Until this law was passed I was happy to take Claritin-D daily, but now each time I go to the counter, I am treated like a criminal. Not only that, but sometimes the pharmacy doesn't have the 15-pill boxes and will sell me a 5- or 10- pill box. Since the pharmacy limits me to two boxes per month (regardless of the quantity) and since there are approximately 30 days in each month, I am forced to go to another pharmacy (which is a huge inconvenience) and/or do without.

I finally got fed up with the system and insisted that my doctor write me a prescription. I now take Allegra-D every day, at a cost of more than $100/month to my insurance company and $25/month to me.

I would very much like to kick the legislators who wrote this law in the nuts (or worse). What a bunch of fucking idiots.

I find it quite telling, that this poor guy had no knowledge of the limits. You see, they don't post the monthly limit at pharmacies. A daily limit of 3.6G is what is seen at the counter but no mention of the monthly amount.

This bust isn't about stopping meth. It's about creating statistics. I've just learned about this limit and was doing research and found this article, somewhat belatedly. Perhaps too late, as I may very well be in the same boat. No. I'm not making meth. Not selling pills to people who do either. It's cheap asthma control. I'm a roofer and trust me, if you have breathing difficulties, there's no better option. Not at my salary.

I live in NY stae and the odds of coming into contact with meth here, is roughly the same as getting hit by a meteorite. It's just not here. Seriously, that stuff has been on the streets for about 40 years. If it was going to hit this state, it would have. No... It's not about stopping meth. It's about STARTING it up. A year ago, nobody around here had even heard of meth. Now, it's a hot topic. What better way to advertise something, than to make it sensasionalist news. To clandestinely pass laws and arrest people for breaking those laws without their knowledge?

Than why do you need a lawyer to interpret the law.

Well, this will just make the meth. cooks send dozens of people to pharmacies, buying a box at time. Brilliant.

SEEMS TO ME LIKE THE PHARMACIES SHOULD BE MADE TO WARN PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE ABOUT TO GO OVER THE LIMIT!! THIS SHOULD BE WHY THEY KEEP LOGS, NOT TO MAKE INNOCENT PEOPLE INTO CRIMINALS...

Like others mentioned above, I too have chronic allergies and take over the counter meds because my doc WON'T write me a prescription for something I can/am supposed to be able to buy over the counter.

My husband was sick this month, so I went over my limit. I have no idea what the limit is or when the limit is reset, so in the mean time, I have to go without.

This law has helped to catch ONE meth head while the rest of us are suffering!!

As a teacher, I wonder how the law makers would like it if I use that type of reasoning with their children in school.... "I'm sorry, no one will get to use the pencil sharpener because someone might turn it into a weapon....:"

Jenny,

You sound like a complete asshole!!! If he was using legal pills appropriately, then why should he be punished severely?

Congratulations DEA, America is now officially the land of the persecuted. I sit here with a sinue infection, unable to breathe and afraid to use my last expired pseudoephedrines. I remember when I used my last expired phenylpropanolamine--I was so desperate to breathe... While pseudoephedrine is nowhere near as effective phenylpropanolamine, at least it did something. Now I must choose whether to sleep for the first time in a week or to continue hacking up and sneezing out flourescent pus for another day.

Seroiusly you guys are either stupid or dillusional to think he was using this legit. If he bought 400 tabs at multiple pharmacies, lets say that means 3, then he is going through 40 tabs per day. The box says max 6 tabs per day. Oh but I'm sure there was a good reason to take it at nearly 7 times the reccomended dose. And I am sure the DEA would use their discretion if this was a family of ten with asthma.

Alright, I use Bronkaid for asthma on a regular basis. The monthly limit is 9 grams. Bronkaid comes in 25 mg tabs. That's 360 tabs per month (in a 30 days month), which equates to 12 tabs per day. I can't imagine why someone would need to take more than that. Even on the worst days, 4 - 6 tabs is sufficient, and I'm stuck wide awake until 2am. Anyone needing more than 12 of these per day needs to have their condition diagnosed by a physician and begin seeking out alternative methods of relief. Having said all of that, I believe the government is overstepping some boundaries here. It should be the responsibility of the pharmacy to limit the sell of products if they are keeping a logs. Instead of calling the DEA, the pharmacist should have simply told the guy, "Hey there's a 9 gram monthly limit, I can't sell you any more of this." I'm not necessarily against the laws in place to regulate the sell of the product, but they shouldn't be used to persecute people.

This is bs, yes I am against meth manufacture, and you can turn $900 into $3000 with psudeo to meth, there are over 300 ways to manufacture d-methamfetamine, pestacides, p2p(phenlprop) epedrine, phenly groups ect... so why crack down on just one? anyway having been clean for years i relize meth is sick, but there many other things we can do to stop this abuse maybe, have a junkie police that stop people at checkpoints tolook at peoples arms for track marks from needles and then beat them frantlickly :D

Seeing as that I truly am a friend of Bill's (actually 2 of them) , perhaps some of
you people who agree with the law and those that don't , might want to know
exactly what kind of person he really is.................I was working with him at the
time of his "capture" . If you would like a response on here , just ask a question .
I will be happy to answer .

i too have been buying too much ephedrine. i take them primatene pills every day i buy way too many and any day i am afraid the police will come to my door where they wont find a lab or anything. i just have a problem taking too many will i go to prison for this?

I am not a big fan of medications period.  However, when it comes to respiratory issues I completely see the importance of taking such chemicals, as they are very likely life saving (I have a little bit of a background in medicinal chemistry - just a little - which was my major in college).  Here's the saddest part about this...I have heard that this man picks up medications for himself and his sister who also has whatever hereditary bronchial issue he may have.  So, he picks up meds for himself and his family member and gets arrested????  I have to wonder how often this will happen when one person is not able to get out and purchase their own OTC meds?   Probably an easy fix, but still demonstrates the ignorance of our so called "drug police".  If they really want to save lives, keep these greedy, uncaring pharmaceutical companies from using direct advertising (count how many medication commercials you see while watching your favorite show on TV) in an effort to get people to ask their doctor about trying the med.  The reality is, with decreasing physician reimbursements from insurance companies, they need to keep their patients happy.  If they do not agree to give the patient the medication they want, that patient may very well "fire" that doc and find another who will prescribe it.  I'm not saying every doc is like this, in fact, I do have a high opinion of those in the medical field.  The majority are honest in their desire to enhance and save lives.  But the hard truth is this:  a person dies every 12 minutes from prescription drug side effects (not including overdoses).  And yet we still allow pharmaceutical companies to stroke our backs and see if we purr?  The US consumes more medications than every other country on this earth.  If our miracle drugs are so amazing and effective and lifesaving, it would make sense then that with our advanced technology that we would have the longest living and most healthy people?  Correct?  Well, the World health Organization (WHO) ranked the countries in health and life expectancy and we finished 26th!!!  You do not have to be a PhD to know that is strong evidence that we are not benefiting from the handful of chemicals we place in our bodies each day (myself included, as I take a cholesterol med because of the peer pressure that I could have a heart attack and leave my young son without a father.  I'm shamed, but take my chances even though I wonder if the med will kill me before the heart attack).  There's a saying that if we dumped all the medications on earth into the oceans, it would be good for humankind, but bad for the fish.  With the exception of drugs for insulin needs, MS, COPD and some others that actually are life saving or enhancing, that might be the truest quote of all.