A Year After Pseudoephedrine, Tennessee Could Restrict Another Cold Medicine

Another cold medication may soon be a little bit harder for Tennesseans to get a hold of, after the state Senate voted unanimously Monday to ban sales of certain kinds of cough syrups to minors.

The medicines, which include brands such as Robitussin DM, Mucinex DM and Tanafed DXM, will remain on store shelves. But purchasers will be asked to show ID, especially if they’re under 30.

Gallatin Republican Ferrell Haile said drug companies sought the change. They believe teenagers, in particular, are abusing DM medications.

“You put anything out there that can be abused, they’re going to try it, I think. … This is a product that’s readily available. You can just walk in the store and pick it up. So that’s the reason for the scrutiny on this.”

The effort comes a year after Tennessee lawmakers set tight annual limits on sales of another common cold medication, pseudoephedrine
. Haile
hopes to avoid such restrictions for DM
medicines.

The measure,
Senate Bill 45, will go into effect in January, if it passes the state House of Representatives.