Editorial: Bill that will shut down meth labs must pass

It is the duty of the legislative branch to enact laws for the greater good of the people.

And state law enforcement officials and leading medical professionals are encouraging them to do just that by passing bill HB 2946, making it so that pseudoephedrine, a common cold medicine ingredient, can only be obtained by prescription.

Pseudoephedrine is also a main ingredient in methamphetamine, an illicit drug that has plagued our country for years. Meth is very addictive and leads to many health problems including: damage to the kidneys, lungs, brain and liver. Birth defects of babies born to addicted mothers are very common.

Cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine are, but not limited to, Sudafed, Mucinex D and Advil Cold & Sinus.

Many who oppose the bill are concerned with costs to healthcare.

Because a doctors visit will be required to obtain these now over-the-counter drugs, the bill is being considered an inconvenience for consumers.

But those concerns do not outweigh the inconveniences brought on taxpayers. We have to pay for programs that support neglected children of addicted parents, environmental problems stemming from the toxic waste left from meth labs, the cost of law enforcement, incarceration and court costs.

Other states that have passed similar laws have seen a dramatic decrease in meth labs. Meth production in Oregon dropped 96 percent, according to www.newstribune.info.

This bill comes at a time when the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is out of the funding to clean up meth labs, according to the AP.

It can cost up to $30,000 to clean up one meth lab, and the DEP has relied on federal grant money to pay private companies to clean up the labs.

Since the funding is gone, the DEP will have to rely on its own staff to do the work.

But they have only six personnel to cover the 55 counties in West Virginia, which is impractical.

If the current bill is passed, results similar to those seen in Oregon could be seen in West Virginia, taking a heavy burden off of the DEP.

This is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately, to ensure a better quality of life for all.