Cough Medicine Law Takes Effect With New Year

December 28, 2016

A statewide prohibition on people under 18 buying certain over-the-counter cough suppressants is one of three new laws that will hit the books with the arrival of the New Year.

The other changes to state laws involve insurance policy coverage of opioid medications and how financial institutions may receive summonses and subpoenas.

SB 938 prohibits the sale of cough medicines containing the synthetically produced dextromethorphan to people under 18 years of age and requires identification from those presumed to be under 25.

Dextromethorphan is found in many cough medicines, including Robitussin, Alka Seltzer Plus, Tylenol Cough & Cold and Vicks NyQuil.

The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, and former Rep. Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze, was proposed after reports of teenagers using cough medicine to get cheap highs. Broxson has since been elected to the Senate.

Side effects of such intoxication, according to a Senate staff analysis, include loss of coordination, slurred speech, sweating, hypertension and involuntary spasmodic movement of the eyeballs.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported six deaths in 2014 related to dextromethorphan use.

The law doesn’t require stores to alter placement of the products but prevents local governments from imposing their own restrictions.

The measure was approved 39-1 in the Senate, with Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, opposed.

The House voted 115-2 for the proposal. Former Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, and John Tobia, R-Melbourne Beach, voted against the bill.

SB 422 prohibits insurance policies that cover opioid medications, with exceptions, from requiring prior authorization for abuse-deterrent versions of the medications.

Supporters of the measure argued the change is intended, in part, to make it easier for people needing painkillers to access medication less likely to cause addiction.

SB 1104 allows financial institutions to designate locations or registered agents where delivery can be made for documents such as summonses or subpoenas.

Comments

3 Responses to “Cough Medicine Law Takes Effect With New Year”

  1. mike on January 2nd, 2017 2:58 am

    @ anne 1of2: I agree, Big Pharma has the gov in their pocket. Most people don’t know that K. Trudeau’s book, “Natural Cures”, is mostly a rant against the FDA & Big Pharma. Of particular interest is the story of his weight loss bread, which was outlawed. Also how Big Pharma doesn’t want cures, just treatments that might alleviate symptoms & keep the patient alive a while, draining them until their insurance runs out, but no cures. :(

  2. anne 1of2 on December 28th, 2016 5:16 pm

    Let’s face it. There will be no medicine that helps anything pretty soon. We have to waste time and money going to a Dr where we sit around to catch 5 things we didn’t have to begin with. Watch the salespeople get in to see the Dr before you do too. It seems to be part of the big plan to sell much more expensive drugs. I am sure the politicians own stock in the drug co’s too. It’s just business.

  3. mike on December 28th, 2016 4:42 am

    Yep, pretty soon all cold medicine will go the way of Sudafed, the over the counter stuff will do nothing. Thanks dopeheads! :(

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News