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Talent-Feinstein
Bill Would Limit Access to
Key Ingredient Used to Make Meth
January 26,
2005
Washington,
DC
-- U.S. Senators Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
have introduced bipartisan legislation to curb methamphetamine production
by moving pseudoephedrine, the primary ingredient to make meth,
behind the pharmacy counter. The comprehensive legislation, the
Combat Meth Act (S.103) also provides new resources to help
law enforcement fight meth in America’s neighborhoods. Missouri
and California lead the nation in the production of methamphetamines.
“This legislation
is a dagger at the heart of meth manufacturing in America,”
said Senator Talent. “If you can’t get pseudoephedrine,
you can’t make meth. Our bill will make it harder for the dishonest
people to get this ingredient, while ensuring honest people can
access the drugs they need. We also provide additional resources
to local law enforcement and prosecutors so they can crack down
on meth dealers. This is the most comprehensive anti-meth bill ever
considered by Congress.”
“Today
we launch a major assault against meth,” Senator Feinstein
said. “Meth use has swept across the nation and reached epidemic
levels. The most effective thing we can do to make meth harder to
manufacture is to put cold medicine behind the counter at pharmacies
and require purchasers to sign for it and show photo ID. This follows
the Oklahoma model, which has cut meth lab seizures by as much as
80 percent. The time has come to replicate that program and take
a strong stand.”
Because pseudoephedrine
is found in many over the counter cold and sinus medicines such
as Sudafed, meth cooks can purchase, or steal the ingredient in
large quantities. Talent and Feinstein’s bill would classify
pseudoephedrine as a Schedule V drug, meaning products containing
pseudoephedrine must be kept behind a pharmacy counter and sold
only by a pharmacist or pharmacy technician.
Oklahoma passed
a law last year limiting the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine,
and since its inception, meth lab seizures have declined by about
80 percent.
Buyers can purchase
9 grams over a 30 day period. They would be required to present
proof of identification and sign for the medicine upon purchase.
In order to ensure that rural communities without pharmacy access
are not negatively impacted, the legislation provides for the Director
of the Federal Drug Administration to authorize others to sell the
medicines so long as they follow the same procedure.
Large sales
of cold medicines would be more closely monitored to track suspicious
sales. To monitor the sale of these products, the legislation provides
funding for Methamphetamine Precursor Monitoring Grants, allowing
states to create programs to track purchases of pseudoephedrine.
A functional monitoring program will allow law enforcement officials
to track and ultimately prevent suspicious buying behavior of ingredients
for meth production.
Additionally,
the Combat Meth Act includes the following features to help law
enforcement fight methamphetamines:
Provide critical resources to local law enforcement and prosecutors
– Provides an additional $15,000,000 under the COPS program
to train state and local law enforcement to investigate and lock-up
methamphetamine offenders and expands the methamphetamine “hot
spots” program to include personnel and equipment for enforcement,
prosecution and environmental clean-up.
Expand
the ability of local prosecutors to bring methamphetamine distributors
to justice – Provides $5,000,000 to hire additional federal
prosecutors and train local prosecutors in state and federal meth
laws and cross-designates them as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys,
allowing them to bring legal action against cooks and traffickers
in federal courts under tougher guidelines.
Provide
services for children affected by the spread of meth –
Provides $5,000,000 in grant funding for Drug Endangered Children
rapid response teams to promote collaboration among federal, state,
and local agencies to assist and educate children that have been
affected by the production of methamphetamine.
Enhance treatment options – Authorizes
the creation of a Methamphetamine Research, Training and Technical
Assistance Center which will research effective treatments for meth
abuse and disseminate information and technical assistance to states
and private entities on how to improve current treatment methods.
Talent and Feinstein’s
Combat Meth Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa),
Evan Bayh (D-Ind.),Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Norm
Coleman (R-Minn.), Mark Dayton (D-Minn.), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.),
Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.),
Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.),
Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.).
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From Senator Feinstein:
Thank you for subscribing to my e-updates. This news is being sent
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We really appreciate your interest and welcome your comments.
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U.S.
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Website
Main Page:
http://feinstein.senate.gov/
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EDITOR'S
NOTE: The following is the link for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer's
page on public safety. The list of what she's supported in the past
is posted here, along with links to other sites concerning hate
crimes, safety of children, gun laws, etc.
http://boxer.senate.gov/issues/ps.cfm
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