Is I A Doper?

[calulu]

Or is it just a overprotective nanny state on our over the counter meds?

Getting a cold after taking my final chemo dose and today went to get some otc cold meds. Target has tighter security on their otc drugs in our town than most Columbian cartels have over their entire stash of Peruvian Marching Flake. And I wasn't even trying to buy the stuff you mix with paint thinner and other healthy-like industrial solvents to make meth. Had to ask the pharmacist for my Coricidin from behind the counter and let them scan my freaking drivers license.

Once I got home the stupidity didn't stop (and it wasn't just me). Schering-Plough had over-wrapped with thick plastic heat sealed wrap over the outside of the box. The box was over wrapped, sealed and each pill is pristinely kept between another layer of plastic and foil in it's blister pack. They almost need to sell a special saw or church key to pry them out.

Between all these things and the big purple warnings stamped all over the box saying, "Parents: Learn about teen medicine abuse!" I have to wonder what all those teenagers are doing to warrant all these protective measures. When I was a teen all you to do to get high was either cough up ten bucks for a baggie of pot or wait till mom and dad's back to be turned so you could swipe their scotch and valiums. Are teenagers so desparate for a high that they've turned to cheap cold meds?

(practicing for my complain letter to Schering-Plough, hehehehhe)

[Amethyst Hunter]

Short answer, yes. Some (not all) teenagers are dumb enough to sniff/snort/drink/inhale/inject/etc. ANYthing. Problem is, you can't outlaw or restrict every little thing, because when one source goes, another will just take its place. Glue, markers, spray paint, you name it, it's everywhere.

The other is a bigger factor and IMO perhaps more understandable - meth labs. It's ridiculously easy to make your own meth, which is a fast-growing illegal drug industry and it's primarily based in the Midwest (though it's by no means limited to that area). All these druggie jackasses have to do is buy a bunch of over-the-counter ingredients, including certain cold medications which contain key ingredients needed for meth, and they can literally cook up a batch of the crap in their own home to use and/or sell as they like. So to crack down on the number of home-grown meth labs (which are expensive as hell for authorities to clean up; it costs well over ten grand just to clean up one single meth 'lab', because the shit is so toxic it can kill you if you so much as touch some of the leftover residue, so they have to call in special Hazmat people to do the cleanup), some stores make you sign for medications, and will often limit the number of those meds that you can purchase in a single visit (say, no more than 2 boxes/bottles per customer).

Believe me, I don't like it any more than you do (found this out the hard way at one store when I had a cold once and couldn't get the damn medicine that I needed because I felt like too much shit to stand and wait in line to sign for it, so I just went to another store where I could get my mitts on it without any fuss). But I understand why they're doing it, so I guess it's just one of those necessary 'evils' one has to tolerate for the sake of putting a chokehold on dealer supplies. :(

[Evil Queen]

Makes you not miss those days of being a teen, huh?

[TheComputerError]

The other is a bigger factor and IMO perhaps more understandable - meth labs. It's ridiculously easy to make your own meth, which is a fast-growing illegal drug industry and it's primarily based in the Midwest (though it's by no means limited to that area). All these druggie jackasses have to do is buy a bunch of over-the-counter ingredients, including certain cold medications which contain key ingredients needed for meth, and they can literally cook up a batch of the crap in their own home to use and/or sell as they like. So to crack down on the number of home-grown meth labs (which are expensive as hell for authorities to clean up; it costs well over ten grand just to clean up one single meth 'lab', because the shit is so toxic it can kill you if you so much as touch some of the leftover residue, so they have to call in special Hazmat people to do the cleanup), some stores make you sign for medications, and will often limit the number of those meds that you can purchase in a single visit (say, no more than 2 boxes/bottles per customer).

Since March 9, 2006, it is a federal requirement under the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 for retailers to keep a retrievable record of all sales of products containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenopropanolamine. In addition, they are required to be able to provide verification of proof of identity. The manufacturers of such products may only sell the non-liquid formulations in individual unit-dose blister-packs. Daily sales of the products cannot exceed 3.6 grams, with monthly limits of 7.5 grams via mail order or 9 grams at retail.

Yes, it sucks, but consider the fact that there are people who are participating in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamines and amphetamines using these medications. By complying with the law, you are maintaining your innocence.

Now, it may be prudent to warn you that you may have to provide age verification to purchase OTC cough products due to the epidemic of "robotripping". Basically, teenagers have taken a liking to ingesting near deadly (sometimes not so near) dosages of dextromethorphan to achieve a "high" somewhat similar to that of PCP.

[calulu]

What I bought has none of the ingredients for making meth, it's got the dextromethorphan in it with Chlorpheniramine maleate only. You cannot make meth from either of those ingredients and you'd have to take a boatload to get a high.

I'm older than God's farts so I'm pretty sure I'm of a safe age not to be Robotripping or making meth, LOL.

[SteeleDragon78]

another new "fun" drug is cheese, the dealers are cutting heroin with some cold meds like robitussin et al. and then selling the stuff for around $20 a hit. we have seen it in tulsa and okc, so i know its gotten this far, not sure how bad it is in other places.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

another new "fun" drug is cheese, the dealers are cutting heroin with some cold meds like robitussin et al. and then selling the stuff for around $20 a hit. we have seen it in tulsa and okc, so i know its gotten this far, not sure how bad it is in other places.

Beat me to it. The article I read said that it was popular with the younger crowd because of the friendly name and low price.

[jedimaster91]

Crap like this made me scared to go get more meds when I ran out and had just bought a pack a couple weeks before. Had a nasty allergy flare-up and took the last of my Drixoral. Went to get more and found out it's not available right now (:cry:). So I ended up with Allevert. It works, but not nearly as well, so I was popping one every twelve hours instead of once every couple months like the Drixoral. That stuff is AMAZING, I tell ya. So, my stash of Allevert ran out in about 2 weeks, and I was more willing to suffer than go buy more cuz I didn't want any questions.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Hehe, I just bought some more Sudafed tonight, and I thought of this thread.

I gotta say, CVS comes in handy... I don't usually shop there because Target and even Wegmans tend to be cheaper, but CVS doesn't keep that stuff in the pharmacy. They keep it behind the front counter instead, so you can get it even if the pharmacy is closed. I was out shopping and went to one Target but they didn't have any left, and I wasn't able to get to the other Target or Wegmans before their pharmacy closed, so I swung into CVS on my way to my parents'. (I woke up with a massive sinus headache this morning and I only have 2 Sudafeds left.) So, yay, CVS :)

[Ree]

The excessive wrapping is also a very sad result of previous drug tampering on the store shelves.

[Evil Queen]

What was it, someone tampered with Aleve some years back, I think it was? Killed a lot of people. Maybe it was Tylonol? I was a kid then so I dunno.

[BookstoreEscapee]

What was it, someone tampered with Aleve some years back, I think it was? Killed a lot of people. Maybe it was Tylonol? I was a kid then so I dunno.

I think it was Tylenol.

[Broomjockey]

Cynide in Tylenol bottles