What is really behind AG Jackboots Electronic Record keeping legislation
Hey, sounds great, right? Anything to curb people from making meth is a good thing right?
Methamphetamine. South Dakota is experiencing a significant increase in the number of meth lab incidences as well as meth arrests.
“As Attorney General, I do not support requiring a doctor’s prescription for basic cold medicine. The more reasonable approach is to utilize electronic record keeping of information already being provided in order to address inappropriate use of cold medicine for methamphetamine manufacturing,†said Attorney General Jackley. Cold medicines containing Pseudoephedrine are often utilized in the manufacturing of
methamphetamine. South Dakota law currently provides for a written record keeping system for the
sale of Pseudoephedrine products that cannot be efficiently checked by either retailers or law enforcement. The proposed legislation addresses the problem through electronic record keeping and further allows for a waiver if a retailer does not have these electronic capabilities. There will be no additional cost to the retailers, consumers or taxpayers for the electronic record keeping system being funded by the industry.
Interesting stuff, especially when you connect the dots.
What are the key components of adding up these dots? Let’s see, they want to implement electronic record keeping, retailers will have access to the information and lastly it will all be paid for by the ‘industry’.
What industry you ask? Big Pharma. See, this legislation is model legislation through ALEC. Who gives ALEC and ALEC members (state legislators) lots of campaign donations? Big Pharma. Who has received a lot of big Pharma money in the past? AG Jackboots. Can you imagine the usefulness of this kind of information to Big Pharma? Being able to track the sales of their over the counter drugs (being sold mostly to innocent consumers not interested in making meth) right down to the actual person purchasing the product, all the while requiring retailers to train their employees to do this extra work, ultimately costing them more in labor costs.
Once again, ALEC is well on it’s way to hoodwink our State Legislators and voters on this legislation.
GP will be posting an extended/closer look at this issue in the near future.