As anyone living in the northwest region of the United States can tell you, the only thing worse than spring fever during the winter is physical fever during the cold season. University of Wisconsin students are currently suffering from both. While the only remedy for the former is time, the latter can be quickly purchased over the counter at a local drug or grocery store.

However, that convenience may not last long.

Wisconsin is quickly learning cold medicine is not just being used to treat sniffling, coughing and sneezing. Drugs like Sudafed and Actifed are serving an alternative, far less legal purpose, as they appear more frequently on the state’s drug abuse radar. These two drugs are among the many cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamines (meth), which also contain cringe-inducing elements such as brake fluid and lithium batteries.

Somehow this stomach-churning ingredient list hasn’t proven sufficiently revolting to stifle meth use or discourage makers from expanding their production in the state. Officials have reported a dramatic increase in the number of meth labs found in Wisconsin, from a reported eight in 1999 to 90 in the last year, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

The expansion of methamphetamine use and production is following a typical pattern in Wisconsin. The production labs, (a strangely glamorous term for what are really just filthy garages and backyard sheds) are located in rural areas. They also appear mostly on the western side of the state. This is not surprising, as Minnesota has recently bolstered its anti-meth legislation.

Just last week, the Minnesota Senate voted to move most cold medications behind the counter, a physical and procedural barrier they hope will curb production and use. Similar legislation exists in Illinois and Iowa. With the cheapest source of pseudoephedrine out of reach in these states, meth-producers are crossing the border to Wisconsin where the increasingly uncommon ingredient is still readily available in medication for the common cold.

Thankfully, Wisconsin lawmakers are aware of the methamphetamine threat and are pursuing legislation to reverse the trend and comfort the state’s legitimately concerned public. The bill will undoubtedly contain regulations similar to those of neighboring states — placing drugs like Sudafed and Actifed behind the counter, requiring purchases of such drugs to be recorded in a log and asking customers to show photo identification when purchasing the medication. Customers may also be limited to two packages per month.

Opponents irritated by what may seem like an unnecessary burden and a large inconvenience can find solace in the fact that liquid and gel-caps will most likely remain over the counter and available in gas stations and convenience stores. No matter what form the cold medicine takes, or how many additional minutes are required to buy it, it is hard to believe that inconvenience can really outweigh the likely safety benefits.

This legislation is a smart initial move for Wisconsin but it is not enough to point fingers at other states and rearrange medicine shelves in ours. We must recognize that meth production moves not just to where the resources are, but also to where the demand is. The drug market, although more ruinous and dangerous than many, behaves just like any other economic scheme. When demand decreases, production will follow. Instead of closing off borders in hopes of upping security, Wisconsin should work in conjunction with neighboring lawmakers to promote region-wide education about the devastating effects of methamphetamines. Awareness programs should target middle and high school-aged students who appear especially drawn to the highly addictive drug. Education must also include ways of recognizing addiction in others and promoting the use of drug counselors and recovery programs for those affected by methamphetamine use and production.

In short, the end of production is really only the start of prevention. Let’s focus on the true goal in this particular battle in the war against drugs: putting methamphetamine use and production not just out of reach, but also out of business.

Sarah Howard ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in political science.