Oklahoma: death to meth.

You won't be able to buy cold pills at the local convenience store in Oklahoma any time soon. The state has enacted the toughest law yet in an attempt to stem the methamphetamine epidemic.

The law, signed by the governor in April, requires that cold tablets containing pseudoephedrine (a vital ingredient in meth production) be sold only by pharmacists. Shoppers also are required to show photo IDs and sign registries showing where and how many cold tablets they purchased. The law does not apply to gel caps or liquid cold formulas since they can't be used to make methamphetainine.

The drug, known variously as crank, ice or poor man's cocaine, has proved to be easily made in morn-and-pop labs around the nation. Meth labs busted by federal authorities jumped to 13,092 in 2001 compared with 327 in 1995.

Twenty-eight states limit access to meth ingredients, which can include liquid farm fertilizer and household products, like Red Devil lye. Ten states have put limits on how many packages of cold medicine a person can buy. Missouri passed a law last year that requires cold medicines with pseudoephedrine to be placed behind or within l0 feet of cash registers and in clear view.