Don't get a cold in Minnesota
At least not on Mike Hatch's watch anyway. According to this in today's Star Tribune, Attorney General (and Gubernatorial candidate) Hatch is going after the pharmaceuticals companies for making cold medicines that can also be used in making meth.
"Hatch said he plans to sue giant international drugmakers such as Pfizer and Merck on grounds that they long have known that large quantities of their legal products have been diverted to illegal meth labs, spurring an epidemic of addiction, crime and shattered lives across America."
Well shoot....if we are going to go down that road, why don't we sue car manufacturers because they know that their legally manufactured products are being used illegally every day by drunk drivers for one and 100% of all car accidents involve cars...and we can sue the manufacturers of ski masks and nylon stockings because they know that their product is being used illegally every day in robberies. How about we sue the manufacturers of baseball bats and hockey sticks? Their legally manufuctured products are used to illegally assult people.
"It seems that this solution seeks to punish people who make a legitimate and needed product because other people are misusing it," said Wanda Mobius, spokeswoman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), a trade group in Washington. "
Count me as one of those people that AG Hatch wants to punish. Cold medicines that I routinely use legally are already behind the counter and everytime I want to by a package of it I have to sign an affidavit that says I am using them legally and I am not allowed to buy too many packages out of the fear that I might do something illegal with it!
I have no doubts that this little bit of grandstanding is calculated to keep his name in the headlines. Every time his name is mentioned in a news story, it has "and gubernatorial candidate" tied to it! Let me ask you this candidate Hatch...much has been made of the rapidly rising costs of health care. Health care is a core DFL issue. How is suing big pharma over the illegal activities of the end users of the their legally manufactured products going to reduce these out of control drug costs?
UPDATE: Midwest Jay points out that S.C. Johnson could be next since they make Ziplocs (tm) bags which are used to package drugs! Who's next Mr. AG??????
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