Reuters reported March 23 that the law, signed by Gov. Thomas Vilsack, also would limit customers to purchasing 7.5 grams of pseudoephedrine drugs per month without a prescription. Common medications like Sudafed, PediaCare, Sinutab, Dimetapp, and Triaminic will be affected by what is touted as the toughest such legislation in the country.

The drugs also will be banned from store shelves, instead being locked up behind pharmacy counters.

Drugs containing pseudoephedrine can be broken down by illicit chemists to create methamphetamine.

Even as they hailed the new law, however, state officials were decrying the Bush administration's budget plan, which would slash funding for anti-meth law enforcement as well as the prevention-oriented Safe and Drug-Free Schools program. "We thought this [law] would allow us to take one big step forward," said Dale Woolery, head of the Iowa governor's drug-control office. "But if we are going to see precious resources pulled out from underneath us ... you could argue we are taking one step forward, two steps back."

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