Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are taking steps to deal with the country’s methamphetamine problem. Senator Jim Talent has introduced a bill which he says contains a number of important elements, with the key element being restricting access to pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in meth. This is done by limiting access to many over-the-counter cold medications, which contain pseudoephedrine. Under Talent’s bill, the federal government would provide funding to Missouri and other states to help purchase the equipment necessary to keep track of the amount of pseudoephedrine being bought by individuals. A similar meth-fighting effort has been launched in Missouri, but Talent says the federal move would prevent Missourians near state borders from crossing state lines to buy their meth-making products.
