Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2005
OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - March 09, 2006)
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Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment today, and I want to thank my fellow Meth Caucus cochairs, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Calvert, and Mr. Cannon, and also the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) for their work in drafting this critical amendment.
Methamphetamine is a highly dangerous drug that is wreaking havoc on families and communities throughout this country. The drug's use is spreading across the United States. And while meth produced in home-grown labs has actually decreased in certain parts of the country, meth use has exploded with the availability of crystal meth from superlabs from places like Mexico.
Meth impacts every aspect of our community, every aspect of our neighborhoods, of our businesses, of the environment, and of our children. According to a 2005 survey by the National Association of Counties, 58 percent of the counties across the country reported meth as their greatest drug problem. The Federal Government needs to treat our Nation's meth problem with the same urgency and commitment that our State and local governments have been treating it for years.
We must provide for local law enforcement, treatment professionals, and prevention experts with the tools they need to combat this deadly drug. Our amendment is a step in the right direction. For the past several years, the Meth Caucus has worked to engage the Office of National Drug Control Policy on this issue. We have tried to get their attention that meth requires a strong, comprehensive Federal policy. While some gains have been made, ONDCP must take meth more seriously and devote more resources to its eradication.
Our amendment calls on ONDCP to increase reporting on several critical meth issues, including State Drug Endangered Children programs and State laws and access to meth precursors. These reports will help us develop a coherent and comprehensive national strategy to fight meth. It is also creates the National Methamphetamine Information Clearinghouse to provide current information to Federal, State, and local agencies about meth's trafficking, abuse, treatment, and abuse prevention.
I want to conclude quickly by thanking the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) for working with us to craft this important amendment. I also want to thank him for his willingness to work with the Meth Caucus to get good meth policy passed. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.
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