Banning cold tablet sales 'won't stop P'

Banning over the counter sales of cold tablets containing pseudoephedrine will not stop the manufacturing of P, an industry body says.

Pseudoephedrine is the main precursor for methamphetamine and can be distilled from cold tablets.

The ban was recommended by Prime Minister John Key's new chief science advisor Sir Peter Gluckman, a science professor.

Mr Key would not discuss the details of Sir Peter's report, saying he was working on a number of other initiatives to deal with the drug problem.

Today, the New Zealand Self-Medication Industry (NZSMI) said banning over the counter sales would not stop the P problem because most pseudoephedrine used to manufacture methamphetamine was imported illegally.

A ban would disadvantage New Zealanders with "no assurance they would curtail the spread of illegal drugs", NZSMI executive director Tim Roper said.

"It would force thousands of cold and flu sufferers to take time off work and would result in many people making unnecessary and costly visits to GPs."

Mr Key said in May some US states had eliminated it from cold tablets and he wanted to look at all the options.

"I do sense there's a really strong desire from the community for the Government to show some leadership. . .it's a $1.5 billion problems, it's wrecking lives and it's wrecking families," he said.