Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleague, Senator Feinstein, in cosponsoring the Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act of 2011. I believe we have an ongoing moral obligation to ensure our young people have every opportunity to grow up without being accosted by drug pushers at every turn, whether on TV, in the movies, or on the way to school.

This bipartisan legislation--which has previously passed the Senate with unanimous consent--comes in response to ongoing warnings issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, and the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, ONDCP, about highly addictive and dangerous drugs being colored, packaged, and flavored in ways that appear to be designed to attract use by children. As ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary and cochairman of the Senate Drug Caucus, I can tell you that the most at-risk population for drug abuse is our young people. Sadly, recent youth surveys are indicating youth drug use is increasing. Research has shown time and again that if you can keep a child drug free until they turn 20, chances are very slim that they will ever try or become addicted to drugs. Unfortunately, unscrupulous drug dealers are all too aware of statistics like these and have developed new techniques and marketing gimmicks to lure in younger users. As a parent and grandparent, this is extremely troubling.

Drug dealers are now flavoring and disguising drugs to make them appear and taste like candy. For instance, some drugs that have been recovered by the DEA and local law enforcement have been flavored to taste like strawberry and are known on the street as ``Strawberry Quick.'' Other flavors, such as lemon, coconut, cinnamon and chocolate are clearly being used to make highly addictive drugs like meth and cocaine seem less harmful and more appealing. Soft drinks are also being laced with THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and marketed with names like ``Canna Cola'' and ``Doc Weed.'' Law enforcement has also recovered drugs that have unique designs which could be appealing to children. For example, Ecstasy pills imprinted with President Obama's likeness or with images of popular cartoon characters have been seized in raids. These flavored and disguised drugs are also being marketed in smaller amounts, making it cheaper and more accessible to children. According to an article in USA Today, at least 8 States have reported instances involving candy flavored drugs, and many law enforcement officials are expecting these deadly substances to infiltrate their States in the near future.

The DEA has made an effort to stop these practices. For example, the DEA arrested three men in an undercover operation in California where candy flavored cocaine was being distributed. The DEA seized at least four different flavors of cocaine along with other dangerous substances. The estimated street value of the flavored cocaine seized in this operation was $272,400. The DEA also arrested 12 people in connection to a marijuana-laced candy and soft drink operation in 2006. The marijuana-laced candy that was seized in this operation was packaged to look like well known brand name candy bars. These drug busts further illustrate the fact that drug dealers will stop at nothing to hook a new generation on these deadly substances.

Currently, Federal law enhances the criminal penalties that apply when a person sells drugs to anyone under the age of 21. When this occurs, the Federal penalties are doubled--or tripled for a repeat offense--and a mandatory minimum of at least 1 year must also apply. However, this penalty applies only to someone who actually sells drugs to someone under 21.

The Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act would increase the prison sentence to anyone who knowingly or intentionally manufactures or creates with the intent to distribute a controlled substance that has been flavored, colored, packaged or otherwise altered in a way that is designed to make it more appealing to a person under 18 years of age. The DEA busts are prime examples of why we need this bipartisan bill to keep drug dealers from peddling their poison to our children.

The fight against deadly drugs is an ongoing struggle. In light of the fact that youth drug use is increasing we must do all we can to protect the most vulnerable among us. We must send a clear message to those wishing to prey on our youth that you risk serious prison time when you target our future.

Although this bill was passed out of the Senate unanimously in 2010, the House never passed the bill in the 111th Congress. I ask that my colleagues join us again in support of this important legislation and pass the Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act, and I encourage the House of Representatives to take up this important bill and help remove these dangerous candy flavored drugs from our communities.

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