|
WASHINGTON, DC — Putting the
cough, cold and allergy products used to illegally make
methamphetamine behind a pharmacy counter would create a
hardship for more than four in 10
consumers (44 percent), according to a national survey conducted
by Harris Interactive® released today. The survey of
2,900 U.S. adult consumers — the first to gauge their views on
sales restrictions enacted or proposed in more than 30 states
and Congress — was commissioned by the National Consumers League
(NCL) and Food Marketing Institute (FMI).
Reinforcing this
view, 62 percent do not believe restricting sales of these
products to pharmacies is a reasonable measure to control meth
production.
Consumers are far
more receptive to less severe restrictions to combat the meth
problem. Large majorities regard the following solutions as
“somewhat” or “very reasonable”:
-
Putting such cough, cold
and allergy products behind “a counter, not a pharmacy
counter” — 71 percent. -
Putting them in a locked
display case — 62 percent.
-
Limiting the
quantity of such products that people can buy — 84 percent.
-
Restricting the
age of purchasers — 74 percent.
-
Requiring
buyers to sign a log book and show a photo ID — 59 percent.
About 250 products on
the market today contain the ingredient pseudoephedrine, which
meth users cook down and extract to produce the illegal drug
methamphetamine. According to law enforcement estimates,
small-time abusers obtain such products from retailers to
produce about 20 percent of the meth available in the U.S. The
remaining 80 percent is made in large quantities by superlabs in
Mexico, Canada and elsewhere.
To combat small-time
production, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee
enacted laws restricting sales of some or all of these products
to pharmacies, in some cases by classifying them as Schedule V
drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Oregon issued a
regulation. Congress is considering the Combat Meth Act (S. 103,
H.R. 314), which would place such products on Schedule V
nationally, triggering a requirement in 17 states that these
common over-the-counter drugs be dispensed only through a
doctor’s prescription.
“If sales of products
containing pseudoephedrine must be restricted, the burden should
not be borne by everyday consumers who depend on these
products,” said NCL President Linda Golodner. “This poll shows
that many consumers are willing to live with some restrictions —
but many also do not feel that restricting sales to pharmacies
is reasonable. This may be because of pharmacies’ limited hours
and the fact they are not widely accessible in many low-income
neighborhoods and rural areas.”
“Many supermarkets
are already helping law enforcement curb meth production by
limiting sales of these products, by putting them behind
counters or in glass cases,” said FMI President and CEO Tim
Hammonds. “We are training clerks to look out for suspicious
purchases and to alert police, following the national Meth Watch
program.” (http://www.methwatch.com)
Both FMI and NCL
support a federal law that would place the kinds of sales
restrictions that most consumers support. Such a law would curb
small-time meth production nationwide and free up law
enforcement to focus on the superlabs and gangs that account for
80 percent of the problem. Both also believe that enforcement
efforts and increased penalties should be aimed at stopping
criminals, not law-abiding consumers.
Common Cough, Cold and
Allergy Products Are Widely Used
The poll found that more than
three-quarters of consumers (77 percent) have purchased such
products in the past year. Greater proportions of those with
children in the household (86 percent) and particularly mothers
with children (90 percent) have purchased these drugs.
Among those who buy
the products, half (50 percent) say it is “very important” to be
able to do so “any time of the day.” This figure increases in
households with children (56 percent) and among mothers with
children (61 percent).
Four-fifths of the
respondents who purchase these drugs rely on them to relieve the
symptoms of their colds and allergies, including 33 percent who
rely on them “a lot.”
Where Consumers Buy the
Products
Consumers purchase the drugs
at multiple outlets, led by discount stores (71 percent), drug
stores (64 percent) and supermarkets (49 percent). Restricting
sales to pharmacies would severely limit their availability in
supermarkets since only 9,900 of the nation’s 33,800
supermarkets have such departments.
Familiarity With the Meth
Issue
Half the population (51
percent) is either very or somewhat familiar with the problem
with meth abuse. Awareness is higher in the West (59 percent)
and among families with children aged 13-17 (62 percent).
Methodology
The poll was conducted online
from March 24-28. Based on responses by 2,906 U.S. adults, it
has a sampling error of +/- 1.8 percent at the 95 percent
confidence level. The data were weighted to be representative of
the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age
within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity and
propensity to be online.
Additional Information
Statement from Linda Golodner
NCL Letter to
Members of Congress
PowerPoint Presentation of Survey Results |
