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Letter to the Editor from Rep. Kurt Bahr Regarding National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx)

Dear Editor:

As a state Representative, I have worked very hard with my colleagues to address the illegal diversion of medicines containing pseudoephedrine (PSE) to criminals using it to produce methamphetamine. My fellow Missouri lawmakers and I put our trust in our law enforcement personnel and the special PSE sales-blocking system known as the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx), because it strikes a balance as an effective tool against potential meth criminals while not burdening law-abiding citizens.

The success of NPLEx is exemplified by the figures posted from 2015, when NPLEx blocked the sale of 45,375 boxes of PSE, which is the equivalent of 117,578 grams.

Missourians should not lose their ability to purchase safe and effective nonprescription cold and allergy medicine because of the crimes of a few. Good people rely on these medicines to treat their symptoms and they expect them to stay on the same shelves that they have been on for over 40 years.

Today, NPLEx is being used by 32 states and helps to block the illegal sale of PSE at the point of sale, in real-time and across state lines. When reevaluating decisions made on issues as complicated and emotional as methamphetamine is to Missouri, you would be hard-pressed to find a working solution as balanced and affordable as NPLEx. I am inspired by the results we have seen so far and believe that with the help of NPLEx, moving forward, Missouri will continue to excel in preventing pseudoephedrine from falling into the wrong hands.

 Missouri State Rep. Kurt Bahr, R-St. Charles