Grassley, Baucus Resolution Designates November as National Meth Awareness Month

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GRASSLEY, BAUCUS RESOLUTION DESIGNATES NOVEMBER AS NATIONAL METH AWARENESS MONTH

Before recessing for the Thanksgiving holiday, the U.S. Senate gave unanimous approval to a resolution offered by Senators Chuck Grassley and Max Baucus of Montana designating November as National Methamphetamine Awareness Month.

"Meth is extremely dangerous and it remains one of the most threatening drugs to Iowans," Grassley said. "By bringing greater national awareness to the meth problem we hope more energy will be given to fighting it at the national level. Meth threatens our families, friends, and neighbors. As a senator from a rural state, I've seen first hand the devastating impact meth has had and how it can tear our communities apart. Congress heard the call and helped plug one leak by decreasing the number of homemade meth labs with the Combat Methamphetamine Enforcement Act of 2005, but another leak has sprung up and high-powered foreign meth is now coming in from outside the . Whether the meth is foreign or domestic, none of us can rest easy in the effort to combat this devastating drug.

As the co-chairman of the Senate Caucus of International Narcotics Control and a member of the Senate Anti-Meth Caucus, Grassley has been a leader in the Senate in fighting illegal drugs.

As ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, he joined Chairman Baucus in calling a hearing in September to address the growing problem of high powered meth being imported across the border from . Grassley invited testimony from Gary Kendell, the Director of the Iowa Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy, about the dramatic reduction in domestic meth labs in Iowa and how 90 percent of meth in Iowa now comes from the Southwestern U.S. and . This important hearing addressed the impact foreign meth is having on our communities and discussed efforts to keep the pressure to stop meth from getting into the Untied States.

Grassley also recently took issue with the Office of National Drug control Policy on the effectiveness of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.
And, in May 2007 he introduced the Methamphetamine Production Prevention Act of 2007 with Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois . This legislation promotes the use of electronic logbook systems by pharmacies to better track the sale of ingredients that could be used to make meth.

In addition, Grassley and Senator Dianne Feinstein of California have jointly sponsored of the Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act which would double the federal criminal penalties for drug dealers who flavor or disguise illegal drugs in order to make them more appealing to people under age 21. The senators also have sponsored legislation to reauthorize a $20 million grant program which is helping treat children who live in a home where methamphetamine was manufactured or distributed.

Ten years ago in Iowa, Grassley founded a community-based anti-drug coalition called "Face It Together" to support efforts by parents, educators, businesses, religious leaders, law enforcement officials, health care providers, youth groups and news organizations to combat illegal drugs.

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