Unusually large retail purchases of OTC cold, allergy, sinus and asthma medicines may signify the items are being used to produce methamphetamine in an illegal lab, recently distributed posters warn retail store clerks.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association is teaming with the Nevada attorney general, the Retail Association of Nevada, state law enforcement agencies and the Nevada Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association to educate retailers about the signs of illegal meth production by distributing posters to retailers throughout the state.

Over 1,800 posters in both English and Spanish have been distributed to stores in Nevada. An accompanying letter to retailers from state AG Frankie Sue Del Papa asks that the posters be displayed in a prominent place on employee bulletin boards, break rooms, lunchrooms or locker room walls.

The poster shows a number of leading branded OTCs as examples of cough/cold and allergy products that contain ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine, ingredients used to make meth, and asserts "Watch your inventory!"

"Suspect a problem?" it asks. "Noticing an increase in the sale of certain over-the-counter medicines? Are certain customers buying suspiciously large quantities of these medicines or other products used to make methamphetamine? Are the same people coming in to your store repeatedly to buy these same products?"

When atypically large or frequent purchases of such items occur, retailers should notify the police, but not confront the purchaser, who may be dangerous, the poster recommends.

The campaign launched at a Wal-Mart in Reno. CHPA is working with other western and midwestern states to distribute the posters. CHPA also has held half-day retailer meth education seminars in states including California, Idaho and Arizona. A seminar is being planned for Kansas.

The Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996 set a 24 g single transaction limit for combination ephedrine products. A bill introduced in 1999 that would further restrict OTC cough/cold product sales passed the Senate but has not yet cleared the House (¹ Also see "Novartis Doan's Hearing To Review FTC Ruling Set For Feb. 8" - Pink Sheet, 29 November, 1999.).

CHPA/Nevada AG Meth Retail Education Poster Campaign Under Way

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