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The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

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Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

#331

Post by [deleted] »

akira2501 wrote: post #74
tptacek wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you worried about the government recording your usage of Sudafed? What is anybody going to do with that information? Serious question! I understand the principle involved; I just want to know if there's some practical concern.

What they're going to do with it is prevent me from making a purchase if I've crossed some arbitrary limit as if exceeding that limit automatically makes me a drug trafficker. From there, it's not too far of a stretch to imagine the government assigning someone to review the list and to expend additional investigative resources into merely "suspicious" cases. Plenty of good tragedies start this way. If the government…

[deleted]

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

#332

Post by [deleted] »

akira2501 wrote: post #114
tptacek wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're just going to say "no", right? They're not going to "automatically make you a drug trafficker". They're just trying to enforce a rate limit.

So, if the concern isn't that I'm trafficking, then why am I being told no? Isn't this the logic the government used to assert this right for itself in the first place? Otherwise, what right is it of the government to enact this rate limit? What interest are they protecting? How is the rate limit decided? What can I do if I disagree with the rate limit? Why is a private business being burdened with the governments ag…

[deleted]

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

#333

Post by [deleted] »

kstrauser wrote: post #101
tptacek wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, the reason they keep the database is especially clear here, right? They're just trying to enforce a rate limit. It's the most obvious public policy response you can have to "a drug that in small quantities is a useful decongestant, but in moderate quantities or above is an ultra powerful stimulant whose abuse is ravaging parts of the country".

I get it. I just find it frustrating, and I'd like to know that my PII was removed after the rate limit period.

[deleted]

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

#334

Post by fragmede »

tptacek wrote: post #196
fragmede wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Water, consisting of hydrogen "basically is" and explosive, as is table salt, consisting of Sodium, which explodes when coming into contact with water. How can we let these two dangerous substances go unregulated! Think of the children! who will get to have interesting high school chemistry labs, that is. That Sudafed "basically is" meth misunderstands chemistry, and the resourcefulness of the real life Walter Whites…

No, this analogy isn't plausible.

Hmm. Say more?

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

#336

Post by phone8675309 »

tptacek wrote: post #267
lazide wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s an attractive nuisance which seems to provide zero practical value overall, let alone for it’s stated reason to exist.

It decreases the number of backyard meth labs, which are a danger to their surroundings. Despite the availability of overseas industrial meth, meth labs would make a comeback if you could simply buy pseudo-meth at the drug store to shake-and-bake in your garage.

A more robust fix compared to keeping a list of cold medicine buyers would be to decriminalize or legalize hard drugs, ensuring that a clean, inexpensive supply is available for those addicted under medical supervision, providing a safe place for those who choose to use, providing judgement free addiction treatment, increasing invest in addiction prevention, and addressing the systemic issues that drive people toward drugs due to a lack of opportunity, lack of support, or lack of understanding the negative impacts of drug use.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

#337

Post by samtheprogram »

meatmanek wrote: post #153
samtheprogram wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always thought it was for Phenyl-Ephrine, but this is so funny/perfect I will use this when explaining to people to not buy Sudafed unless it's behind the counter.

I always assumed it was there to subtly confuse people into thinking they were getting Pseudo-Ephedrine.

I thought the E is silent in the latter, but I'm a much better speller than pronunciator. Maybe!

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

#338

Post by lazide »

wheremiah wrote: post #311
lazide wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cite? Every nation has an underbelly. Poorer nations, those folks tend to die pretty fast though.

There was this article about Iceland combatting teen drug abuse by providing alternative activities and social outlets: https://www.naturalhigh.org/icelands-radical-transformation-...

Iceland isn’t really a poor country though, even if it doesn’t have a high GDP. It’s more like New Zealand.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

#339

Post by akerl_ »

phone8675309 wrote: post #336
tptacek wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It decreases the number of backyard meth labs, which are a danger to their surroundings. Despite the availability of overseas industrial meth, meth labs would make a comeback if you could simply buy pseudo-meth at the drug store to shake-and-bake in your garage.

A more robust fix compared to keeping a list of cold medicine buyers would be to decriminalize or legalize hard drugs, ensuring that a clean, inexpensive supply is available for those addicted under medical supervision, providing a safe place for those who choose to use, providing judgement free addiction treatment, increasing invest in addiction prevention, and addressing the systemic issues that drive people toward…

Oh, so I guess we just draw the rest of the owl. Good to know that if we fundamentally alter society and sidestep the challenges in doing so, we can avoid the burden of occasionally having to show our ID for one more drug than before.

We can and should do the things you're suggesting, but I can't get behind the logic that we should wait til we can accomplish those things, when we can take any other more straightforward measures to mitigate "people making meth at home next door to people who don't like meth labs".

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)

#340

Post by clipsy »

schrodinger wrote: post #246
clipsy wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can’t speak for your Walgreens or CVS, but at mine you’ll see a shelf full of phenylephrine-based decongestants only, because the pseudoephedrine-based ones are behind the counter and out of sight.

Not trying to be condescending, but are you sure you're referring to "behind the pharmacy counter (i.e. where the pharmacist stands)" rather than on the regular shelves? That's where it's prominent—although as someone else noted there are often "see the pharmacist for the real stuff" cards on regular shelves too.

Yes.
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