HB 125-RESTRICTIONS ON SALE OF DEXTROMETHORPHAN  1:47:20 PM CHAIR COSTELLO reconvened the meeting and announced the consideration of HB 314. She relayed the intent to hear from the sponsor and the administration, take member's questions, and hold the bill for future consideration. 1:47:58 PM GRACE ABBOTT, Staff, Representative Charisse Millett, introduced HB 125 on behalf of the sponsor speaking to the following sponsor statement: For over 50 years, families have relied upon cough and cold medicines containing dextromethorphan (DXM) to treat their coughs. Today, more than 100 over the counter cough and cold products contain DXM. When used correctly, DXM-containing medicines are safe and effective, but when abused can produce dangerous side effects. According to a 2013 National Institute of Drug Abuse study, four percent of teenagers - 8th graders through 12th graders - have intentionally taken exceedingly large amounts of cough medicine containing DXM to get high. At high doses, e.g. 8 to 50 times the maximum labeled dose, DXM can produce hallucinations, confusion, blurred vision, nausea, excessive fatigue, and loss of motor control. To help address this problem and combat the number of teens who abuse DXM, House Bill 125 prohibits the sale of DXM to those under 18 years of age without a prescription. This simple step, asking for proof of age prior to sale, would maintain access to effective, over the counter cough medicines for Americans who use them to treat cough symptoms associated with colds and the flu, while limiting access to the small but significant number of adolescents who might abuse them. The penalty for those who sell to minors would be a $150 for the first violation, and $250 for the second and any future violation. Alaskans take substance abuse issues very seriously, and the abuse of DXM should be no exception. 1:50:42 PM KACI SCHROEDER, Assistant Attorney General, Legal Services Section, Criminal Division, Department of Law (DOL), stated that the administration does not have an official position on HB 125, but believes that Ms. Abbott accurately articulated the problem and that the bill can be implemented as drafted. 1:51:32 PM CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on HB 125. 1:51:54 PM SENATOR MEYER asked if products containing DXM would be placed behind the counter and customers would need to show ID and register in order to make a purchase. MS. ABBOTT said no, but an ID check would be triggered at the point of sale. The concern with dextromethorphan relates to age, whereas the concern with Sudafed is the potential manufacture of another drug. SENATOR MEYER asked if there is a penalty for young people who try to purchase dextromethorphan. MS. ABBOTT said there is no intent to penalize anyone purchasing the drug; the onus is on the vender. SENATOR MEYER asked if the vender would display an information sign to keep young people from attempting to purchase the medicine. MS. ABBOTT replied many retailers voluntarily have put up signs and she believes that is an effective way to get the message across. 1:54:16 PM SEAN MOORE, Consumer Health Care Product Association (CHCPA), said he is speaking in support of HB 125 on behalf of the national trade association that represents the over-the-counter medicine industry. They have worked closely with the sponsor. He summarized that the bill would simply prohibit the sale of over- the-counter products containing dextromethorphan to those under age 18. The drug was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the 1950s and now is the most widely used cough suppressant on the market. It is nonnarcotic and does not produce physical dependence when taken according to the directions. However, a significant number of teens have been abusing DXM to get high, often ingesting as much as 25 times the recommended dose. This can produce side effects that include distortions of color and sound, confusion, loss of motor control, nausea and vomiting. The National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2009 reported that about 5.25 percent of teens in grades 8, 10, and 12 admitted abusing DXM in the past year. MR. MOORE said the industry takes the issue of medicine abuse very seriously and has committed to the FDA to help reduce the abuse rate. As part of that effort, they have partnered with organizations that have expertise in preventing and reducing medicine abuse by youth. Members of CHCPA have voluntarily committed to include bold warnings on their packaging and directing parents to a website. More recently, they have begun supporting legislation similar to HB 125. He emphasized that this is an easy bipartisan issue and the evidence shows that it is working. He urged the committee to support HB 125. 1:57:51 PM CHAIR COSTELLO closed public testimony and held HB 125 in committee for future consideration.