Retailers do their part in meth battle

Missouri lawmakers want to make sure it isn't easy for methamphetamine makers to get their hands on the ingredients. Legislators are in the process of proposing some of the country's toughest restrictions on the sale of over-the-counter medicines that are used to make meth.

Pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient in decongestants such as Sudafed, is a key chemical component in meth, a powerful and highly addictive stimulant.

The Missouri legislation, which already has passed the House and awaits Senate debate, would require medicines such Sudafed to be placed either behind the counter or within 6 feet of a cashier, or to contain an electronic anti-theft tag. It also would limit each customer to two packages, or 6 grams, of pseudoephedrine medicines.

The law is a good idea. But some area businesses are already well ahead of the curve. At the Country Mart in Jackson, the pills are already under lock and key and sales have been limited to two boxes for a year and a half. Schnucks has done the same, also keeping lithium batteries -- another ingredient -- behind locked doors.

These businesses should be acknowledged for their foresight and sense of civic responsibility.