A new law requiring a prescription to purchase cold medicines containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine took effect in St. Charles County Tuesday. 

Anyone seeking to purchase the products must have a doctor's note to do so. The bill, passed by the St. Charles County Council on July 25, is aimed at curbing production of methamphetamine in St. Charles County.

The compounds in the cold medications are staples for the manufacture of methamphetamine.

The county council passed the new requirement in a unanimous 7-0 vote. Council Chairman Joe Brazil, R-2nd District, noted at the time that in 2011, more than 100 meth labs had been discovered in St. Charles County, topping last year’s 92 in half the time. Brazil said it was the council’s duty to act.

Councilmember Paul Wynn, R-4th District, originally did not support the regulations, but said upon consideration, he felt any potential government intrusion was minor compared to the public health risk.

Critics of the law, including representatives from the St. Louis chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, repeated concerns that the prescription requirements were both a financial inconvenience and an infringement on St. Charles residents’ right to health care access.

Patch readers also sounded off about how the legislation would impact them.

St. Charles County Sheriff Tom Neer was instrumental in proposing the countywide requirement, done in conjuction with officials from Jefferson, Lincoln and Franklin counties. 

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported few requests for medication were made Tuesday at area drug stores.