By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog

CHARLESTON — Two lawmakers who support requiring prescriptions for cold medicines containing ingredients used in the making methamphetaminesay the bill will put the hurt on local meth labs, but can’t guarantee that demand for the powerful narcotic will decease.

Last week, lawmakers introduced SB 346, called theLarry Border Act. If passed, the Larry Border Act would require a prescription to dispense drug products that contain ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine or other ingredients used in the making of methamphetamine – a powerful narcotic also know as as speed, meth, chalk, ice, crystal, and glass.

The bill is named after Del. Larry Border (R-Wood), who died after suffering a stroke last June at the age of 60. Border, a pharmacist, served 10 terms in the House, representing Wood and Wirt counties. He was minority chairman of the House Health and Human Resources Committee.

The bill is similar to HB 2946, which passed the House last year, but was defeated in the Senate 16-16 with two absent or not voting. Currently, pseudoephedrine products are placed behind the counter in pharmacies, and pharmacists must register pseudoephedrine purchases in a logbook. Still, experts say methamphetamine manufacturing increased over 50 percent in West Virginia over the last year.

“The main thrust are the meth labs and the costs, the toxicity issues, the fires, the children who are abused and neglected,” said state Sen. Dan Foster (D-Kanawha), a doctor and physician administrator at the Charleston Area Medical Center. “That’s huge if we can reduce that significantly. As a bonus, it does seem to cut down on overall meth use.”

Read more…