John Key

Wellington, Sept 14 NZPA - The Government will announce next month how it is going to deal with the methamphetamine menace, Prime Minister John Key said today.

It could mean a ban on across the counter sales of cold tablets that use pseudoephedrine, the chemical used to make the drug known as "P".

Mr Key's chief science adviser, Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, last month delivered a report on methampetamine precursors and one of his recommendations was a cold pill ban.

"Cabinet has decided to consider decisions on pseudoephedrine regulations as part of a broader package," Mr Key said at his post-cabinet press conference.

"It is the advice of both Professor Gluckman and the working group led by my department that to be effective in cracking down on P, increased limitations on the availability of pseudoephedrine should be supported by a range of other interventions."

Mr Key said policy work on possible interventions was continuing.

"I will bring to Cabinet a comprehensive package of recommendations designed to beef up the Government's response to P later this month," he said.

"I expect to make an announcement in October."