LANSING — State Rep. John Kivela (D-Marquette) introduced legislation today to limit the number of products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine that a person can purchase within a 30-day period, and also limits how much can be purchased without a valid doctor’s prescription within one year. Both of these products are contained in over-the-counter and prescription medications and are essential ingredients in the manufacture of the illegal drug methamphetamine.
“Since I first came to Lansing as a state representative, I have been fighting the meth epidemic in my district and throughout our state by making these products harder to buy for those people who are cooking meth,” said Kivela. “My colleagues and I have had some success by seeing legislation signed into law that increases penalties for meth crimes. I hope we can take the next step and see this legislation signed into law as well.”
Kivela’s House Bill 4373 would reduce the allowable amount of products a person could purchase containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine from 9 grams to 7.2 grams in a 30-day period. The legislation also creates a new annual limit of 61.2 grams that can be purchased without a valid physician’s prescription. Nothing in the legislation prohibits a person from going to the doctor to get a valid prescription to purchase additional amounts of products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.
“By limiting how much of these products can be purchased, I hope we can make a significant dent in the amount of meth being made, and maybe even discourage people who haven’t made it before but are thinking about it from doing it at all,” said Kivela. “We know how this drug destroys lives. We need to do all we can to stop its production, and this legislation I’m introducing today is the next logical step in this battle.”