Lawmakers in some California communities are cracking down on sales of over-the-counter cold medicines. While the ingredients are legal, authorities contend they are being used by underground laboratories to make methamphetamine -- an illegal stimulant used by some as a recreational drug.

Sales of dozens of well-known brands -- such as Dristan, Sudafed, Actifed, Tylenol Cold, NyQuil and Contac --- are being restricted.

• In San Diego, it is illegal to buy more than three packages of most over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines in a 24-hour period.

• Similar legislation has passed or is pending in more than a dozen other cities and counties in California.

• At issue are the legal chemicals ephedrine and pseudoephedrine that are found in dozens of sinus medications as well as in some diet pills and energy boosters.

• Amateur chemists turn them into methamphetamine by combining them with such ingredients as battery acid and red phosphorous from road flares.

Observers say that retailers and drug makers are in a bind. If they endorse legislation restricting the sale of cold remedies, they tacitly acknowledge that their products contribute to "meth" production and hurt their own sales. If they oppose restrictions, they are open to accusations of profiting from illegal drugs.

Retailers are already obliged to report to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration bulk sales of the products if they contain chemicals they believe will be used to synthesize meth. Federal law also requires drug makers to put the products in "blister packs," which encase the pills individually and hamper attempts to gather large quantities.