The Iowa Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that would make it illegal to purchase cold medicines and give them to a methamphetamine manufacturer.

The bill is intended to reduce the handling of substances used for making methamphetamine, said Sen. Larry McKibben, R-Marshalltown, who spearheaded the bill’s passage.

If it is signed by Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, it will take effect July 1, McKibben said.

McKibben said he was contacted by three groups — The Iowa County Attorney’s Association, the Office of Drug Control Policy and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement — all encouraging the bill.

Ingredients in the cold and flu drug Sudafed are widely used by meth manufacturers, said Capt. Gary Foster of the Story County Sheriff’s Department. Buyers can grind the ingredients in a blender and add doses to other chemicals, Foster said. He also said ephedrine and lithium batteries are in demand for processing meth.

The bill’s aim is to keep intermediaries from funneling the meth ingredients to producers.

“Legislation that would make it easier to take meth makers off the street or those who [contribute] to making meth makes it a safer environment,” Foster said.

He said employees at stores that sell Sudafed help by contacting police when a person buys a large amount of the drug.

McKibben said Iowa has been in need of doing more to stop meth production.

“Gathering meth has almost become an epidemic,” McKibben said.

He said the bill sprang from a district court case that made it difficult to prosecute the buyers of Sudafed. “[This bill] makes it certain that most criminals won’t get off on a technicality.”.

McKibben said stores such as Hy-Vee and Wal-Mart help to combat the threat of crime by locking certain over-the-counter drugs in a case.

“Any law or act that would assist in lowering drug abuse, we’d be all for it,” said Cmdr. Jim Robinson of the Ames Police Department.

The availability of ingredients used to manufacture meth has increased meth labs in the state from eight in 1995 to 1,195 in 2003, McKibben said.

“By cracking down on meth manufactures, we can help prevent some of the terrible consequences of this dangerous drug,” McKibben said.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.