First, the state said you must make a special trip to the pharmacy counter to buy certain cold medicines. That was to curb production of methamphetamine.

Now, a St. Louis legislator wants you to do the same thing to buy an even more common household item — baking soda — because it's used to make crack cocaine.

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The sponsor of the baking soda bill, Rep. Talibdin El-Amin, D-St. Louis, said the same approach was needed for baking soda because crack cocaine is often produced by dissolving powdered cocaine in a mixture of water and baking soda.


"We have crack cocaine running rampant in our neighborhoods," he said. "Don't get me wrong, meth needs to be tackled. But anything that calls attention and brings the crack cocaine problem to the forefront is a positive step."

Baking soda could also be replaced in making crack cocaine with drain cleaner or ammonia, others say.

"With these drugs, there are so many different chemicals that can be used — batteries, coffee filters, anything," said Ron Leone, executive director of the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association. "It's like MacGyver. Everything's possible."