A proposal to ban pseudoephedrine in NZ has not been thought through well. With these few words you would probably think I am pro pseduoephedrine, and indeed you would be right.

Before you guys start yapping away let me lay my case.

A few reasons why banning a tried and test drug is not a solution:

1. It is tried and tested, and being available over the counter indicates it to be relatively safe compared to other similar drugs.

2. Banning of one drug makes us more reliant on another, one more option is closed. And personally I prefer pseduoephedrine compared to antihistamines. (Yes yes some instance it is a mix of both, but I am speaking of direct relationships. I have used both and I found pseduoephedrine more effective)

3. Regulation of the distribution of pseduoephedrine or even better as a prescription only medication I feel would be more acceptable. Heck I wouldnt care if I required a prescription to get it, if it means less P being manufactured locally.

4. With less P being made locally where will it come from?? Obviously abroad and almost more than likely proxied (if there is such a word) from Australia.

5. There is only so much the government can do, It would be a safe bet that the government wont ban the use of ephedrine and its derivatives as a whole but be more precise in their bannage. hahaha.

So what?? Essentially all ephedrines can be manipulated to make the illict P just requires a chemistry textbook and a bit of thinking. Perhaps if you just draw it out and use the textbook to figure out the gaps you could easily do it.!!

Sidenote: Next time try not to submit a solution to a problem to which you just thought about over the morning cup of coffee.