Prescription Debate Puts Congressmen In Opposite Camps. I Stand With The Opposition.
Prescription debate puts Congressmen in opposite camps
Forces rally in Frankfort
By Ronnie Ellis CNHI News Service
Frankfort — FRANKFORT — A major fight is brewing over a proposal in the Kentucky General Assembly to require a doctor’s prescription for common-cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine as an avenue to shut down methamphetamine labs.
After Oregon and Mississippi passed similar laws, according to Col. Joe Williams of the Kentucky State Police, those states saw a more than 65-percent drop in the number of meth labs that produce toxic residue and can explode – in addition to the devastating addictive nature of the drug.
Currently, Kentucky requires purchasers of the drugs to show identification that is entered into a statewide computer tracking system. Purchases are limited for individuals, but meth dealers have begun paying others to buy the products, a practice called “smurfing.” Williams estimates 70 percent of sales of the drug are used in meth production.
While supporters call the proposal a “no-brainer,” critics say it will inconvenience allergy sufferers and retailers and perhaps turn common cold and allergy sufferers into unwitting felons.
Lined up behind the bill are U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, who rallied supporters in Frankfort on Thursday, Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, the Kentucky State Police, prosecutors and even the Kentucky Education Association.
Lining up against it are retailers, the company that currently tracks sales of the drug for the state, drug manufacturers and even the wife of Rogers’ fellow Republican Congressman Geoff Davis. Opponents are running ads on the radio and in newspapers and are expected to spend a lot of money fighting the bill.
Rogers appeared before both the Senate and House Judiciary committees Thursday, telling lawmakers “an epidemic of amphetamine is spreading across the state at an alarming rate, killing kids and adults.”
He invoked the memory of 20-month-old Kaydon Branham, who died after drinking a drain cleaner used in making meth at a home lab in Wayne County.
He conceded the law will inconvenience innocent cold and allergy sufferers – but so do traffic lights and airport security, he said. But the bill outlaws only pseudoephedrine products. Rogers said about 15 name-brand products would require a prescription – while 137 others would be unaffected.
And, he said, pseudoephedrine is the only “essential ingredient” of eight required to make meth. Eliminating its easy acquisition can put meth manufacturers out of business, Rogers said.
“Would you trade a little inconvenience to save the lives of children?” Rogers asked the Senate committee, chaired by Sen. Tom Jensen, R-London, and sponsor of the bill.
“I can’t understand, Mr. Chairman, why the companies that are making these drugs are not being responsible citizens in trying to prevent the fatal misuse of their drugs,” Rogers said. “Could it be money, Mr. Chairman? Could it be?”
Pat Davis, wife of the Republican Congressman from the Fourth District, Geoff Davis, said she and her children suffer from allergies and the bill will “punish all Kentuckians for the crimes of the few.”
Requiring patients to obtain a doctor’s prescription, Davis said, will cost more, resulting in lost time at work and at school.
Jensen postponed a committee vote on the bill because Sen. Ray Jones, D-Pikeville, was absent because of a family issue and wanted to vote for the bill. But some who oppose the bill said the committee didn’t have the necessary votes. But, that changed later in the day.
With Rogers and about 400 gathered in the capitol rotunda to rally for the bill’s passage and Jones returned to Frankfort, the Senate recessed so the committee could vote and it passed out favorably. But that doesn’t mean the bill has enough votes yet to pass the Senate, where some are concerned it would make possession of the drug without a valid prescription a felony.
That could mean someone who bought a common cold remedy in a nearby state and returned to Kentucky could face a felony charge, according to an opinion by Louisville attorney Mark Miller, a former prosecutor. Miller’s opinion came was sought by Jim Acquisto of APPRISS, the company that operates the computer-tracking system.
But. a zealous crowd, including former drug abusers, law enforcement and school children packed the rotunda. Many carried signs with Kaydon Branham’s picture and the phrase “My meds aren’t worth a kid’s life.” The green-and-white clad North Laurel Middle School cheerleaders chanted: “No more meth! Hey, hey whaddya say? No more meth!”
On hand was Marti Burton, 34, a Richmond police officer, who had to be decontaminated and taken to the hospital for exposure to fumes at a site where officers recently found a meth lab. She was overcome with nausea, headache and became dizzy.
Because the chemicals are so toxic, Burton had to disrobe outside in the nine-degree weather and undergo decontamination before entering the ambulance. Fortunately, she suffered no permanent damage.
Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/
Editor's comment: "He invoked the memory of 20-month-old Kaydon Branham, who died after drinking a drain cleaner used in making meth at a home lab in Wayne County."
Following Congressman Hal Rogers' logic, we should require a prescription for the drain killer and NOT the cold medicine, since it was the drain cleaner that killed the boy.
Forces rally in Frankfort
By Ronnie Ellis CNHI News Service
Frankfort — FRANKFORT — A major fight is brewing over a proposal in the Kentucky General Assembly to require a doctor’s prescription for common-cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine as an avenue to shut down methamphetamine labs.
After Oregon and Mississippi passed similar laws, according to Col. Joe Williams of the Kentucky State Police, those states saw a more than 65-percent drop in the number of meth labs that produce toxic residue and can explode – in addition to the devastating addictive nature of the drug.
Currently, Kentucky requires purchasers of the drugs to show identification that is entered into a statewide computer tracking system. Purchases are limited for individuals, but meth dealers have begun paying others to buy the products, a practice called “smurfing.” Williams estimates 70 percent of sales of the drug are used in meth production.
While supporters call the proposal a “no-brainer,” critics say it will inconvenience allergy sufferers and retailers and perhaps turn common cold and allergy sufferers into unwitting felons.
Lined up behind the bill are U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, who rallied supporters in Frankfort on Thursday, Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, the Kentucky State Police, prosecutors and even the Kentucky Education Association.
Lining up against it are retailers, the company that currently tracks sales of the drug for the state, drug manufacturers and even the wife of Rogers’ fellow Republican Congressman Geoff Davis. Opponents are running ads on the radio and in newspapers and are expected to spend a lot of money fighting the bill.
Rogers appeared before both the Senate and House Judiciary committees Thursday, telling lawmakers “an epidemic of amphetamine is spreading across the state at an alarming rate, killing kids and adults.”
He invoked the memory of 20-month-old Kaydon Branham, who died after drinking a drain cleaner used in making meth at a home lab in Wayne County.
He conceded the law will inconvenience innocent cold and allergy sufferers – but so do traffic lights and airport security, he said. But the bill outlaws only pseudoephedrine products. Rogers said about 15 name-brand products would require a prescription – while 137 others would be unaffected.
And, he said, pseudoephedrine is the only “essential ingredient” of eight required to make meth. Eliminating its easy acquisition can put meth manufacturers out of business, Rogers said.
“Would you trade a little inconvenience to save the lives of children?” Rogers asked the Senate committee, chaired by Sen. Tom Jensen, R-London, and sponsor of the bill.
“I can’t understand, Mr. Chairman, why the companies that are making these drugs are not being responsible citizens in trying to prevent the fatal misuse of their drugs,” Rogers said. “Could it be money, Mr. Chairman? Could it be?”
Pat Davis, wife of the Republican Congressman from the Fourth District, Geoff Davis, said she and her children suffer from allergies and the bill will “punish all Kentuckians for the crimes of the few.”
Requiring patients to obtain a doctor’s prescription, Davis said, will cost more, resulting in lost time at work and at school.
Jensen postponed a committee vote on the bill because Sen. Ray Jones, D-Pikeville, was absent because of a family issue and wanted to vote for the bill. But some who oppose the bill said the committee didn’t have the necessary votes. But, that changed later in the day.
With Rogers and about 400 gathered in the capitol rotunda to rally for the bill’s passage and Jones returned to Frankfort, the Senate recessed so the committee could vote and it passed out favorably. But that doesn’t mean the bill has enough votes yet to pass the Senate, where some are concerned it would make possession of the drug without a valid prescription a felony.
That could mean someone who bought a common cold remedy in a nearby state and returned to Kentucky could face a felony charge, according to an opinion by Louisville attorney Mark Miller, a former prosecutor. Miller’s opinion came was sought by Jim Acquisto of APPRISS, the company that operates the computer-tracking system.
But. a zealous crowd, including former drug abusers, law enforcement and school children packed the rotunda. Many carried signs with Kaydon Branham’s picture and the phrase “My meds aren’t worth a kid’s life.” The green-and-white clad North Laurel Middle School cheerleaders chanted: “No more meth! Hey, hey whaddya say? No more meth!”
On hand was Marti Burton, 34, a Richmond police officer, who had to be decontaminated and taken to the hospital for exposure to fumes at a site where officers recently found a meth lab. She was overcome with nausea, headache and became dizzy.
Because the chemicals are so toxic, Burton had to disrobe outside in the nine-degree weather and undergo decontamination before entering the ambulance. Fortunately, she suffered no permanent damage.
Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/
Editor's comment: "He invoked the memory of 20-month-old Kaydon Branham, who died after drinking a drain cleaner used in making meth at a home lab in Wayne County."
Following Congressman Hal Rogers' logic, we should require a prescription for the drain killer and NOT the cold medicine, since it was the drain cleaner that killed the boy.
Labels: Kentucky politics, Public health, Public safety
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 8:44 AM
1 Comments:
He invoked the memory, a 20-month-old Kaydon Branham, who died after drinking DRAIN CLEANER used to produce at home go to the laboratory of Wayne County.
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