Those looking to buy nail polish remover at CVS no longer have to worry about bringing their IDs.
CVS recently implemented a new policy in some states that requires patrons to show identification when purchasing products containing acetone or iodine. The decision was made because both chemicals are essential ingredients in the illegal production of methamphetamine.
Meth, a Schedule II controlled substance, is the highly addictive drug at the center of AMC’s critically acclaimed chemistry-teacher-turned-drug-lord drama “Breaking Bad.”
The show started airing its final eight episodes of its fifth season earlier this month, after receiving more than 150 award nominations. Three of those nominations ended in Emmy wins for Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of Walter White, the show’s main character who goes by the street name Heisenberg.
The latest episodes reveal Walter White is not out of the profitable business, despite the return of his cancer. In fact, his business is stronger than ever, after making a deal to ship his product internationally and losing his partner in crime, Jesse Pinkman, in the second part premiere.
Jesse Pinkman is played by Aaron Paul, who won two Emmys for his supporting role on the show. Pinkman left the drug business with a bang by randomly scattering his $5 million earnings throughout the streets of the New Mexico slums.
The move caught the interest of detectives who brought him in for questioning. And whose interrogation room does he end up in? None other than Drug Enforcement Administration agent Hank Schrader, brother-in-law of Walter, who just discovered Heisenberg has been hiding in plain sight the whole time.
Heisenberg’s arrest seems imminent, but nothing about this show is predictable.
One thing, however, is for sure: Heisenberg is international, and he’s going to need a lot of nail polish remover. Yet it’s safe to say he doesn’t shop at CVS, and neither do real life meth cooks.
CVS executives realized this after an onslaught of social media outrage. The company posted an announcement on its official Facebook page reversing the ID requirement in most states in an effort “to ensure customer convenience.”
“Purchases of products containing acetone, including nail polish remover, will no longer require an ID,” the statement read. It continued to explain the “revised policies will take effect before the end of this week.”
Catch the remaining “Breaking Bad” episodes on AMC on Sundays at 9 p.m.
This story originally ran on page 7 on 8/22/2013 under the headline "CVS breaks bad chemical policy after TV show airs"
