More industry-friendly DXM bill introduced

Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduce the Dextromethorphan Abuse Reduction Act June 25 to set an age limit on purchases of the OTC products containing the ingredient. S. 1383, which was referred to the Judiciary Committee, would ban retail sales of DXM OTC products to consumers under 18 years. The legislation differs from a DXM bill then-Sen. Joe Biden introduced in the previous Congress, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association says (1"The Tan Sheet" Sept. 15, 2008). In a change CHPA lobbied for, S. 1383 does not require adding raw DXM to the Controlled Substances Act, the trade group said June 26. Classifying raw DXM as a controlled substance would unnecessarily increase drug firms' regulatory burdens and is not needed to curb abuse of the cough medicine ingredient, according to CHPA