Werid OTC drug thing ....

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2003
Werid OTC drug thing ....
35
Tue, 10-11-2005 - 5:31pm

I was shopping this morning at a local discount store to pick up a bunch of stuff including a package of Sudafed. When I got to that aisle, there was a display showing boxes of a variety of OTC cold/sinus/allergy remedies. Each were numbered and you had to go to the customer service desk and request the number you were looking for. I was puzzled because there were various types of meds availalble (such as benadryl, some forms of sudafed, etc). Dutifully, I went to the counter to order up a "number 19". The clerk got out the box and told me she'd take it to the cash register when I was ready.

Huh? It was early in the morning and I was quite confused. It didn't bother me, it was just weird. I asked her why and she told me kids are buying quantities of certain meds and then using them to concoct a variety of recreational drugs.

Has anyone heard of this or am I uniquely living in the dark?

And besides, what good does it do to keep the sudafed under lock and key? If I wanted a dozen packages, would they or could they restrict the quantity? If I looked like a drug crazed person instead of my middle-aged mom self, would they have told me to buy my cold remedies elsewhere? Can they do that? And what's with the hand carrying it to the register? Did they think I would don a disguise and saunter back up to the counter and request another package if they simply gave it to me?

Seems to me it's a bit like putting a warning label on a cup of coffee saying "this is hot and might burn your tushie off" .. more trying to protect themselves than the consumer.

No, understand, I want to keep our kids from mixing up unfortunate concoctions as much as the next guy....but will this accomplish that? Strange, strange, strange!

jt

(and, yes, I know there are many more important things in the world to wonder about. But still.)

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2003
Tue, 10-11-2005 - 5:32pm
Wrong icon! Whoops.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-07-2005
Tue, 10-11-2005 - 5:43pm

People make methamphetamine out of these drugs.

cc

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2005
Tue, 10-11-2005 - 6:03pm

Working in the medical field this does not bother me because I see the other side of this issue. The kids that come in after they have smoked, injected, sniffed... all of the things they make out of this. Yes, they can refuse to sell you these products. No, this has not been making a dent in the meth labs.

The one that bothers me is entire counties refusing to sell insulin needles to diabetics without a prescription! HELLO!

1. Anything could happen that could put a person in a situation that they may not have their insulin or injection device.

2. Even if the drug addicts are coming in and getting insulin needles is that not better than sharing and causing an even greater drain on our health care system?

Irritated, Michelle

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-15-2004
Tue, 10-11-2005 - 6:27pm

They're not under lock and key, but people are only allowed to buy one at a time. Last spring, we all had colds, and my mom tried to buy a bunch of different types of medicine- we all prefer different kinds, and she was also buy some to keep at the other house, so she was at the checkout with about 8 bottles. They only let her buy 1, and she said they were treating her as if they were sure she was going to misuse these drugs. Yep, these can be used to create other drugs, meth mainly, and if you drink half a bottle of dayquil or something equivilant, it feels basically the same as smoking a joint.

But I don't see how keeping them locked up is effective.



Image hosting by Photobucket
Avatar for momtolizabeth
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2003
Tue, 10-11-2005 - 7:05pm

That practice has been common-place here for awhile now...

Avatar for bookwormmom
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2003
Tue, 10-11-2005 - 11:27pm
Funny that I should check the board today and find this thread. I was at a School Planning Team meeting this afternoon at DS's middle school. One of the members of the team is a retiree from our police dept. He was rather high ranking and worked with the dept for over 35 yrs. now even though he is retired he is still involved with the courts. He brought up this problem and was explaining just how terrible these drugs are, when they are used to make methanphetamines they are extremely deadly. Not only can they cause explosions when made and in some cases when they are used, depending on the use, they are extremely toxic. He said this is the worst of the drugs to date, it is a country wide problem and he is seeing the kids come through the courts on a daily basis with meth problems. He also said often he is seeing them come in with parents that he dealt with when they were young and often due to drug problems. The difference is that this is far worse than what their parents did. He said one of the huge factors is the availability of methanphetamines, they are available everywhere because just about anyone can set up a lab. Not only are these big in the cites, but also in the rural areas. The kids don't realize when they get involved just how bad this is. This stuff is so toxic that when a place is raided that is suspected of being a meth lab, the people who go in to confiscate whatever is there wear HAZMAT gear. Apparently it can get in through your skin, breathing etc. and they can't take any chances with being exposed.
I do understand why they restrict the selling, even though it is a pain, they do it so kids don't try doing something they don't realize could very well kill them. Many kids think they know what they are doing and try these things that they hear about. If they have free access they may end up addicted or dead a lot faster than they would ever imagine.
Is it a pain in the neck for the rest of us? Sure, but I do understand why the precautions have been put in place.
Our school will be having someone from either our local dept. or from DEA in to speak with parents and staff about methamphetamine use, what it is, what it looks like, how it is sold, how it is taken, the symptoms etc. I'm not sure when we will have it, it still needs planning, but it will be happening with in the next couple months. If I get some good info I will let you all know.
Kristie
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-05-2004
Tue, 10-11-2005 - 11:52pm

I think needles should be available to ANYONE

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-07-2005
Wed, 10-12-2005 - 1:31am

<<>>

This is really neither here nor there... but around here, I've never heard of a "kid" being busted for a lab. They're full blown adults, usually between the age of 30 and 45.

Just from reading my newspaper,
cc

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-07-2005
Wed, 10-12-2005 - 2:07am

<<>>

I once wrote a letter to the first bush. I don't remember what law was being considered at the time, only some of the stats I'd read... ok, remember this was a long time ago!

But Dallas had one of the lowest HIV rates (1%) in the U.S. (big cities only) for intravaneous users whereas NYC (60%) had the highest - and the factor seemed to be that in Dallas they could buy needles and NYC not.

And then these same users were giving these diseases to their loved ones (or rape victims or whoever), so I'm with you on the clean needles issue.

cc

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-05-2004
Wed, 10-12-2005 - 2:18am
Wow... those numbers are staggering! Sometimes I think this country needs a wake-up call about certain issues... this one included.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Pages