Drug Industry Group Spent $194,000 In January Alone To Fight Kentucky Anti-Meth Legislation

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. "Requiring a Prescription for Cold Medicine Has Not Reduced Meth Use in Oregon"

Mods: This is a Cascades Institute press release/no copyright issues

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/requiring-a-prescription-for-cold-medicine-has-not-reduced-meth-use-in-oregon-2012-02-21

Requiring a Prescription for Cold Medicine Has Not Reduced Meth Use in Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/

-- Cascade Study Raises Questions about Real Impact of Oregon's Prescription-Only Requirement

Cascade Policy Institute released a study today which found the 2005 Oregon law which restricts access to medicines containing pseudoephedrine (PSE) has not made the illegal drug methamphetamine harder to get or reduced the number of people using it. The Oregon law makes any medication containing PSE available only via prescription ("Rx-only&quot .

"This study affirms what we predicted over six years ago: The law would not significantly curb meth use or production, but it would impose a considerable burden on legitimate users of cold and allergy medicines like Claritin-D and Sudafed," said Steve Buckstein, Cascade's founder and Senior Policy Analyst. "With other state and federal lawmakers considering following Oregon's lead on this issue, we thought it was critical to find out what has actually happened here since the law went into effect."

"The prescription requirement for cold and allergy medicines containing pseudoephedrine had no more of an impact on the reduction of meth lab incidents than other measures adopted in neighboring states. In fact, the rate of mobile meth lab reductions in Oregon is nearly identical to that of six neighboring and nearby states that do not have a prescription requirement. Moreover, meth addicts in Oregon can still get access to their drug of choice," added Buckstein. "Overall, our study raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of Oregon's law and whether such a prescription mandate--which impacts all consumers in the state--is warranted."

Key findings of the study:

Law enforcement in Oregon report that methamphetamine remains the state's greatest drug threat, despite the reduction in in-state meth production, and contributes the most towards drug-related crime.

Methamphetamine lab incidents in Oregon declined more than 90 percent between 2004 and 2010. Most of this decline occurred before the prescription-only law went into effect in 2006.

Six neighboring states including Washington and California experienced similar declines in meth lab reductions without imposing a prescription requirement during the same time frame.

The number of methamphetamine admissions to substance abuse centers in Oregon declined about 23 percent from 2006 to 2009, the exact same rate as the rest of the United States. Usage was slightly higher in California at 29 percent and slightly lower in Washington at 20 percent.

Legitimate users of pseudoephedrine in Oregon incur additional costs as a result of this law, because it requires a doctor visit to get Sudafed and similar products that are available over-the-counter in 48 other states. Some of these additional costs are also borne by all taxpayers who fund government health care programs.

The first part of the study examines whether the manufacture and availability of methamphetamine in Oregon is substantially different from similar states and similar regions of the country. Part two examines trends in indicators that track methamphetamine production, such as Oregon's lab incidents compared to other states. Part three examines trends in indicators of methamphetamine use, such as substance abuse-related admissions in Oregon compared to other geographies. And finally, part four explores the costs, financial and otherwise, to consumers.

The report's findings are consistent with studies conducted by other independent groups, such as Oregon's High Intensity Drug Area (HIDTA), which reported: "Methamphetamine continues to be highly available and widely used throughout the HIDTA region and remains the most serious drug threat to Oregon" ("Threat Assessment & Counter-Drug Strategy," 2011 Oregon High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Report, Accessed 9/26/11).

Please visit the Cascade Policy Institute website to read the entire study: http://cascadepolicy.org/

The study was conducted by Chris Stomberg, Ph.D., a Partner, and Arun Sharma, a Principal, in the Antitrust and Competition, and Healthcare practices at Bates White, LLC, an economic consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. Primary report author Chris Stomberg can be contacted at [e-mail] or [phone].

About Cascade Policy InstituteFounded in 1991, Cascade Policy Institute is Oregon's premier policy research center. Cascade's mission is to explore and promote public policy alternatives that foster individual liberty, personal responsibility and economic opportunity. To that end, the Institute publishes policy studies, provides public speakers, organizes community forums and sponsors educational programs.

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Steve Buckstein at 503-242-0900 or [e-mail].

www.cascadepolicy.org [e-mail]503-242-0900

SOURCE Cascade Policy Institute