Local police are asking stores in Merrill to make Dramamine harder to buy. This, after two teenagers were taken to the hospital for overdosing on it. Police say they fear the medication that's used for motion sickness, is being abused.
"Clearly selling Dramamine over the counter is not going to make or break a business," said Merrill Police Chief Neil Strobel. "So I think that when confronted with the dangers of it, most of our retailers were more than happy to comply."
Strobel says retailers could help by ordering the medication in smaller quantities, so it would be easier to spot people buying it frequently.
"We have it behind the service counter," said Dave Bonnell, owner of Dave's County Market in Merrill.
Bonnell says he's happy to do what he can, however he is concerned that there will be limits to how much his employees can do to keep the drugs from falling into the wrong hands.
"What's to keep someone's that's 21, 22, from buying for them like they do alcohol and cigarettes?" Bonnell wondered, although he added that there are no age restrictions on these kinds of medications.
Bonnell said he and his employees would keep an eye out, however, for anything out of the ordinary.
"If we can stop this element right here, that's what it's all about," Bonnell said.
