The cold medicine industry is battling a new strain of legal headaches involving the unlawful use of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in decongestants that's used to make crystal meth.
In Oklahoma, a wrongful death lawsuit involving the murder of a state trooper killed by a meth cook has been filed against the makers and sellers of pseudoephedrine, alleging that the drug companies long knew the product was being used for methamphetamine but did nothing about it. Green v. Pfizer, No. CJ-05-00115 (Cotton Co., Okla., Dist. Ct.).
Also in Oklahoma, the town of Oakman has filed a suit against Pfizer calling for a ban of pseudoephedrine products in its town, claiming the decongestant pills have created a huge local drug problem. Oakman v. Pfizer (Walker Co., Okla., Cir. Ct.).
In Minnesota, the state attorney general's Office is exploring a civil lawsuit against the distributors of pseudoephedrine in response to a growing drug problem there. And on the legislative front, at least a half-dozen states have passed laws in the last year restricting the sale of the product, requiring it to be stocked behind the counter.