Residents in St. Charles County will soon need a prescription to purchase cold and allergy pills containing pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in methamphetamine.
The St. Charles County Council voted unanimously Monday to require the prescription in a move aimed at fighting meth production. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 56 pharmacies in the county will be affected by the law that will take effect one month after County Executive Steve Ehlmann signs the measure.
St. Charles County becomes the state's largest county with a prescription law. Mo. has long been among the states hardest hit by meth. For years, Mo. had the most meth lab busts in the country. The state fell to No. 2 behind Tenn. last year.
Opponents say the law penalizes law-abiding citizens.
