New at Reason

Julian Sanchez | September 2, 2005

Jacob Sullum shoots off his meth mouth about the fuzzy math behind the latest moral panic.

Comments

|9.2.05 @ 9:51AM|#

Meth mouth is a an effective defense against that other widespread scourge in rural America, "You've Got A Mighty Purdy Mouth Syndrome."

Phil|9.2.05 @ 10:02AM|#

Gov. Warner signed an executive order yesterday forcing Virginia pharmacies to place all pseudoephedrine medications behind the counter, and requiring citizens to display their papers before they can buy them. It's expected to become law when the legislature reconvenes. Looks like I'm going to Wegman's to stock up, because after it takes effect, I refuse to participate in this charade.


Lt. Gov Tim Kaine, the Democratic candidate for Governor, supports the order and a law; his opponent, Republican Jerry Kilgore, is a frigging right-wing loon. Looks like I'll be writing in my own name on the governor ballot this time.

|9.2.05 @ 10:13AM|#

joe,
As I understand it, no teeth makes a mouth "purdier," if I'm getting your drift.

|9.2.05 @ 10:17AM|#

If markets were allowed to operate, blah blah blah, the worst stimulants would disappear and we would have safer version of meth and coke. Caffeine aint enough for some people

|9.2.05 @ 10:57AM|#

Caffeine does nothing positive for me. A cup of coffee might induce leg-jiggling, or breathless angst, or nothing. Not much mental stimulation there. Maybe I need the XR formulation.

What else works as a decongestant? Can you still easily order ephedrine (pseudo- and real) from abroad, or is it even more suspicious than Desoxyn?

The Anti-Puritan|9.2.05 @ 12:53PM|#

Unfortunately, I sometimes hear medical-marijuana activists say, "Why don't the narcs go after meth instead of cannabis? That's the real drug problem." If we do not study history, we are condemned to repeat it.

|9.2.05 @ 1:09PM|#

I think the term 'life expectancy' usually means that half of the group dies within the specified period, so only 6.7% of high school students die from meth use within 5 years.