The ‘chocolate chip’ of meth

I write this letter to ask the members of my community for support in an up coming legislative fight related to the fight against meth.
The Missouri Narcotic Officers Association, led by Sgt. Jason Grellner of the Franklin County Drug Enforcement Unit, is pushing for legislation that would make pseudoephedrine available by prescription only. Pseudoephedrine as Sgt. Grellner describes it is the chocolate chip of meth because without it you can not make meth just as without chocolate chips you can’t make chocolate chip cookies. Pseudoephedrine is the one ingredient that you must have no matter what method is used to produce the drug.
The fight will come from the pharmaceutical companies that make more than a billion dollars a year from cold relief medicines containing pseudoephedrine. The cost associated with fighting the ongoing meth problem in money and human damage is far higher than any that can be associated with this legislation. This is a fight that we can win and have a direct effect on the manufacturing of this illegal drug unlike those that are manufactured and transported into our country from others.   
The only thing pseudoephedrine does is keep your nose from running for in most cases about four hours that is all. It has no curative properties as most of the other ingredients in cold relief medicines.
I would ask as a member of law enforcement for your support in this matter. Please contact your state legislators and ask them to support our efforts to finally bring an end to this scourge that has plagued our country, state, county and cities.
 
Jim Beilsmith
Marion County Deputy
Eastern Director Missouri Narcotic Officers Association
Hannibal