Larsen: Major Meth Legislation Closer To Reality

Larsen: Major Meth Legislation Closer To Reality
December 14, 2005

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) announced that major anti-meth legislation passed the House today as part of the Patriot Act conference report. The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act attached to the Patriot Act represents the combination of two major pieces of legislation that Larsen, as Co-chair of the Meth Caucus, helped produce.

Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) and Meth Caucus co-chairs introduced the Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act to attack multiple angles of meth trafficking - precursor control, international controls, environmental regulation, and criminal prosecution.

In the past, individual Members of Congress had proposed stand-alone legislation that would only address single aspects of the meth problem.

Larsen pointed out: "The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act is critical, because it takes a big picture approach that will move us light-years forward in helping our local communities fight meth."

He continued, "This bill will put up a federal firewall on meth production, distribution and use."

The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act represented the combination of the Meth Epidemic Elimination Act (H.R. 3889), which Larsen helped create, and the Combat Meth Act (H.R. 314). The Combat Meth Epidemic Act was then attached to the Patriot Act reauthorization conference report. The Senate must pass the conference report before the president can sign the legislation into law.

"The Combat Meth Epidemic Act is a great start. We have a great deal of work left to do," Larsen pointed out.

"I can finally go home and tell the constituents, law enforcement, and leaders in Washington state that Congress is treating the meth problem with the same urgency and commitment that local communities have been treating it with for years," he said.

The provisions put in place new federal tools in the fight against meth. Since the meth problem also extends far beyond our borders with most of our nation's meth coming from "superlabs" controlled by major drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, this bill contains provisions to go after the international side of the meth battle. The bill also toughens regulations and penalties that apply to meth traffickers who pollute the environment or endanger children.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/wa02_larsen/pr_12142005_methlegreality.html