Rx for cold pills.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Brief Article

Oregon has become the first state to require a doctor's prescription for many over-the-counter cold and allergy relief medicines, with the aim of shutting down methamphetamine labs around the state. The bill was endorsed despite complaints that the requirement will put a hardship on law-abiding citizens who can't afford doctor visits. Opponents said it goes too far and that that the public will resent the inconvenience of having to obtain a doctor's prescription.

But backers called it a necessary step to help curb the availability of ingredients used to make a drug that's ruining lives--especially those of children who are exposed to toxic chemicals and neglect in homes used as...