ACT Party Aims to Repeal Pseudoephedrine Ban on Cold and Flu Medications

New Zealand's ACT party has announced that it will work to repeal the country's ban on cold and flu medications that contain pseudoephedrine, stating that the ban is ineffective as it has done nothing to stop the production of methamphetamine (P).

Since being banned, pseudoephedrine-based medicines have become harder to obtain, while meth production by gangs has continued, with cooks having found cheaper ways to make the drug, the party claims.

ACT's health spokesperson Todd Stephenson argued that fighting meth production required a different approach, and that lifting the ban would make it easier for people to access cold and flu treatments.