INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Sen. Carlin Yoder, R-Middlebury, has proposed a bill meant to crack down on methamphetamine production.

Notably, Senate Bill 496, to be heard Jan. 22 before the Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law, would establish new parameters on the sale of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, a common nasal decongestant and key ingredients in meth. The two drugs could only be sold in pharmacies, there would be a new limit on the quantity of the drugs that could be purchased over a year and anyone convicted of a meth-related crime could only possess the substances with a prescription for seven years.

“Senate Bill 496 will help our men and women in law enforcement uncover more meth labs, make more arrests and help retailers block attempted illegal purchases of pseudoephedrine products,” Yoder said in a statement.

SB 496 was crafted as an alternative to the notion of requiring a prescription for the purchase of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, the approach favored by some.

“A prescription requirement would force an individual to take time off work, make a doctor’s appointment and drive to the pharmacy to purchase common cold medicines,” Yoder said. “This bill is intended to fight meth in Indiana without going down that route.”