By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis – The U.S. Senate has approved the nation's toughest anti-methamphetamine measure to date. Republican co-sponsor Jim Talent says the legislation will help eliminate homegrown meth labs.
The measure would require cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine to be sold behind counters nationwide.
It also would limit purchases to 7.5 grams per person per month.
Missouri has a similar law on the books.
This bill would cover states such as Illinois that do not. Talent says he already foresees the next step.
"What I really think we're going to see, probably within a year, 18 months, is the drug companies come up with replacements for pseudoephedrine," Talent said. "And that will remove this problem of the local labs probably for good."
The bill is part of a larger appropriations package still awaiting final Senate passage, which is likely to happen early next week.