that had a dramatic impact on the ability of the cartels to get their pseudoephedrine. they really, really struggled. >> narrator: with the mexican cartels unable to get their hands on psuedoephedrine, the potency of the meth being smuggled into the u.s. has plunged dramatically. >> the cartels suddenly found themselves on the ropes. and you find them turning to other desperate measures, turning to the old biker method of making methamphetamine. and that has continued on through today to the point where 70% of the meth that is seized by the federal government these days is actually the old biker meth-- b.l. methamphetamine, half as potent as the old crystal meth that was on the street five years ago. and that's good news for people who care about rates of addiction because the people who experience weaker meth are likely to use far less of it, and potentially not become addicted. >> narrator: but just as they always have before, the meth cooks have found a new way to get pseudoepherine. today, former cook robert lucier is clean after spending time in jail. but not long

to a prescription drug, pseudoephedrine meth labs go away.t end. >> three, two, one, play it. >> reporter: for years, he's used the media to promote his cause. >> what we're trying to do is put a genie back in the bottle. >> reporter: but he keeps losing to a powerful opponent. >> how many years have i been trying this? '98? '99. 2012. what are we? o for 14 years. >> he's very passionate on this. our paths cross multiple times. and very committed to it. >> reporter: elizabeth works for chpa, the consumer health care products association. chpa represents the multi-billion dollar over-the-counter drug industry. >> we are looking to stop crime. we just think there's a better solution than requiring a prescription for the large majority of law-abiding consumers. >> reporter: last year grelner recruited freshman missouri state representative dave shotz to sponsor a prescription bill. chpa won again. with newspaper and radio ads, phone bak phone banks and lobbyists. >> i wasn't prepared for that. i didn't realize you would walk into an issue like t

it tracks retail pseudoephedrine sales. and chpa actually paid to put it in place. it's called nplex. if someone tries to buy more than the legal limit, nplex red flags the sale to block it. >> so it says that exceeds your gram purchase limit. >> obviously, when we put this technology in place, our hope is that it would drive down the meth labs. >> reporter: but last year the number of meth lab busts in missouri was up. nearly 7%. in part because meth makers are still using straw buyers. law enforcement in missouri tells us that meth labs are going up because crooks are circumventing nplex. >> criminals are always going to find ways to get around the system. >> reporter: right now only oregon and mississippi require prescriptions for pseudoephedrine. 21 other states have adopted the nplex tracking system. but sergeant grellner says the