Indiana Senate panel advances anti-meth measure

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A state Senate committee has endorsed a bill that would make it tougher for drug offenders to buy cold medicines that contain a key ingredient in the production of methamphetamine.

Corrections and Criminal Law Committee members voted Tuesday to advance the proposal requiring someone with a drug-related felony conviction within the past seven years to get a prescription before purchasing medicine containing pseudoephedrine.

Since lawmakers question whether that step will effectively curb Indiana's meth problem, the bill establishes a four-year trial period. If the measure doesn't significantly reduce the number of meth-related incidents, pseudoephedrine would become a prescription-only drug for all consumers, not just convicted felons.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also must approve the bill before it can go before the full Senate.