This morning, I noticed that my oil was down by 1/4 of a quart, so when I was driving in the vicinity of a Wal-Mart, I decided to go in and buy a qt. of MMO in order to top it off.
I went to the self-checkouts, and the woman who supervises those checkouts had to come over and intervene because the purchase of this oil additive required “proof of being 18 years of age”.
To her credit, she didn’t ask this white-haired old guy for proof of age, and she simply did some sort of override.
I am used to having to provide identification in some liquor stores, and when purchasing certain OTC cold products, but… for an oil additive??? I would have asked the woman for an explanation, but because a guy at the next register was coughing like a fugitive from a T.B. ward, I just got out of there as quickly as I could.
Does anyone have a theory regarding proof of age for purchasing that product?
Same when I purchase SeaFoam, this AM, superglue. Always for spray paint.
But then 55 years ago when building AMT 3in1 model cars had to have a parent present to buy ‘airplane’ glue.
Because of “huffing”, I can understand that proviso for spray paint, and for certain types of glue, but for…
Marvel Mystery Oil and SeaFoam?
Are people actually trying to get high from those products?
Was the MMO in a spray can, or liquid in a red plastic bottle with a screw cap? I could see the spray can as maybe having a propellant that some people huff.
A huffing motorist killed several Girl Scouts and their adult leader a couple weeks ago in NW WI. Ran his pickup truck off the road and into the group that was picking up trash from the culvert.
I recall when nasal decongestants containing pseudoephedrine hydrochloride required ID plus completing and signing a form was required for purchase due to it being a meth ingredient. Pretty dumb when the meth manufacturers were supposedly getting the powder in 5 gallon buckets from China.
I remember covering that when I worked in Iowa. They only started getting the powder from (mostly, there, anyway) Mexico after they couldn’t easily buy Sudafed over the counter. Iowa was one of the earlier states to crack down on OTC cold medicine, because the other big ingredient they were using back then was anhydrous ammonia, which they stole from farms, sometimes with explosive results, and farmers were getting tired of worrying that their nurse tanks would explode some night.
Thing is, it’s chasing a moving target, because once you lose on the amphetamine-interception front, the stuff you use to actually cook the meth can come from a variety of sources.
Can’t get anhydrous? That’s OK, plenty of household chemicals make a fine substitute, and you don’t even have to cook it. You just put everything into a jug and shake it. You just have to be careful not to unscrew the lid too fast so it doesn’t explode, but it’s easy, cheap, and when one ingredient gets blocked via legislation, you just switch to something else, like those instant cold-packs pharmacies sell for sprains.
Seafoam is the same. They’ve made it hard to get, so they’ll switch to some other product. I’d guess mothballs, or camp stove fuel. Anything with naptha in it.
I’m no scientist, but I checked the MMO Safety Data Sheet and under the heading “Hazard Identification” is a hazard classification reference to “Reproductive Toxicity 2”.
Admittedly not a scientist, but I was once under the age of 18 and if my memory serves me then anything with a toxic influence on reproductive behavior in middle school or high school would NOT be a good thing. If I recall that was a problem without any toxicity to enhance it.
So, requiring “proof of being 18 years of age,” makes sense to me.
Whenever I buy some solvent that requires ID I mime snorting it and tell the cashier, ‘100 hits for $2!’, cheerily.
Maybe they know something you don’t. A Playboy cartoon (read it for the cartoons) showed BNDD agents (Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, predecessor to the DEA) agents arresting Colonel Sanders. One bystander told the other, ‘They just identified the 11 secret herbs and spices.’
I’ve never heard of MMO being a problem but anything is possible I guess due to a number of people out there who will try anything.
Many years ago here, the 15 year old sister of a guy I know died at a party one Saturday night. She started inhaling Pam (yes, the non-stick cooking spray) and was DOA at the hospital.
You guys got me curious, so I did a little more research. It seems that because some fuel additives can be used to make meth, Walmart restricts all fuel additives to 18+.
You have to be over 18 so that you are not a minor. Using a drivers license or other government picture ID shows how often you buy the drugs. If it’s too often, expect the police to come calling to find out why you need an unusually large quantity.
