Read all about it The political papas are at it again. They propose that common cold medicines are whisked out of arm's reach, tucked safely behind the protective bar of a pharmacists counter. There, the pharmacist can ration the appropriate dose, monitor your purchases through a government-sponsored database, and ensure that no bad people lay their hands on the stuff. What are they up to? It turns out our self-appointed old folks think that there are just entirely too many meth cookers lurking around every tree, and that our cold medicines faciliate their businesses. If they only make it a little harder to get the fixins' for meth, well she-ewt, the kids will be just plain better off. The papas cite a decrease of 80% in the number of meth lab "busts" as the shining example of how grandly such a master plan has succeeded in Oaklahoma. Unfortunately, there are no statistics to substantiate tht this fact equals success. Has Oaklahoma seen an 80% decrease in the number of meth users? Meth related crime? Nooooo? Then do tell, Papa Okie, have your watchdog labs analyzed the meth seized recently? Don't tell me, the fixins' have done gone and changed since one of them is gittin' tough to git... That's precisely the result of the drug war, and its myopic focus on its manufacture and distribution. Nothing. The manufacturers will just find another way, period. Drug use in this country has remained steady, and when there have been dips in drug use, it's been entirely due to changes in the habits of the users. LSD use, for example tapered off not because it was suddenly impossible to get the ingredients, not becuase it was suddenly illegal, but because people stopped using it as much. Even more frightful, the papas cite DEA support of the cold pill control plan. Fantastic, the agency largely responsible for putting people beind bars for their entire lives for a first-time pot bust, the agency responsible for witch hunting doctors who--get this--prescribe pain medication to people in pain, is in favor of plans to monitor your cold medicine purchases. I feel safer already.