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Blame it on Breaking Bad. CVS Pharmacies across the country are now requiring ID to purchase nail polish remover, since, like cold and allergy medicines, it contains a key ingredient in making meth.The policy, which is already in effect in New England and is now being adopted across California, means customers must show ID and will be limited on the number of bottles of remover they can purchase, Fox News reports.
The drugstore issued this statement:
Because acetone is an ingredient used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, we recently implemented a policy that a valid ID must be presented to purchase acetone-containing products such as nail polish remover. Our policy also limits the sale of these products in conjunction with other methamphetamine precursors and is based on various regulations requiring retailers to record sales of acetone.
A Boston journalist for WBUR who attempted to purchase nail polish remover at her local CVS says she received an error message at self-checkout. She received a slip of paper that read, "Products containing acetone/iodine cannot be purchased at the self-checkout. Please see associate for assistance."
"The saleslady overseeing self-checkout sprang into action and walked over to the register clucking, 'New state laws, driving us crazy.' Another sales associate chimed in, 'Meth,' and shook her head," Rohr wrote.
Curiously, the FDA is not behind these new regulations. Spokesman Christopher Kelly issued this statement to Fox: "We are not aware of any FDA specific regulation of iodine or acetone sales other than those generally in place for all active or inactive ingredients in approved products."
The decision appears to be a proactive one on the part of CVS, The Huffington Post reports: In 2010, the chain agreed to pay $77.6 million to settle a federal lawsuit after it acknowledged that it had sold pseudoephedrine to criminals who used it to make meth.
According to CBS7 in L.A., other stores besides CVS require anyone purchasing nail polish remover to be at least 18.
