The Press-Citizen has an article on the latest meth crackdown - they're trying to pass a city ordinance requiring you to sign a log and show photo identification at a pharmacy in order to buy pseudoephedrine.



Okay, I'm quite in favor of law enforcement techniques, as is obvious from my background. But this is taking it a bit too far. Can't we simply keep the restrictions on how much is bought, rather than requiring every poor schmuck with a cold to sign in? I mean, out in the boondocks where I live there's only one pharmacy in town, and it closes at 6:00. God forbid I get a cold or a sinus headache at 8:00 at night - I'd have to make a 45 minute trek into Coralville and pick it up at the Walmart or HyVee. And if it's 1:00 am? Is the friendly neighborhood pharmacist still going to be around, even at the big chain stores?



It's not like a single box of sudafed is going to be of much use for making vast quantities of meth. That's why the meth manufacturers always got several boxes around when the lab is raided.



This Des Moines Register article from last December has data showing people are willing to put up with this "minor inconvenience" in order to stop meth use. I really think they haven't thought through all the practicalities of it. I agree that it could be a "behind the counter" product like cigarettes. But to require a signature and a pharmacist and a limit? Good in theory, nasty in practice.