Oklahoma: death to meth.

• Position: Trends And Transitions - Brief Article

You won't be able to buy cold pills at the local convenience store in Oklahoma any time soon. The state has enacted the toughest law yet in an attempt to stem the methamphetamine epidemic.

The law, signed by the governor in April, requires that cold tablets containing pseudoephedrine (a vital ingredient in meth production) be sold only by pharmacists. Shoppers also are required to show photo IDs and sign registries showing where and how many cold tablets they purchased. The law does not apply to gel caps or liquid cold formulas since they can't be used to make methamphetainine.

The drug, known variously as crank, ice or poor man's cocaine, has proved to be easily made in morn-and-pop labs around the...