U.S. Senator, Chuck Grassley, has joined Democratic Senators from California and another Republican Senator from Utah in introduction of a bill aimed at declaring methamphetamine an emerging drug threat. “For years, meth has taken lives and destroyed families across America, particularly in the Midwest,” Grassley says. “Though this drug is not new, drug traffickers are finding new and harmful ways to increase meth’s potency and distribution, spiking overdose rates.” This bill will aid law enforcement in enhanced response to the challenges presented by drug traffickers and the evolving tactics in manufacturing and distribution of the drug. Senator Dianne Feinstein of Calif. says that in the course of just one year, overdoses from a classification of drugs that includes meth, psychostimulant drugs, increased by 42 percent. “The meth available on our streets is pure, potent and cheap and law enforcement is seizing more of the drug than ever,” she says. Senator John Curtis of Utah agrees, saying meth addictions and fatalities have risen dramatically, particularly in rural areas. “The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem by spreading resources thinly and making it more difficult to connect with individuals in need of support. To combat this threat,” Curtis says, “I am proud to co-lead the bipartisan Methamphetamine Response Act, which channels the necessary resources at the highest levels of government to develop and implement a nationwide plan to prevent this dangerous drug from becoming even more prevalent in our communities.” The bill will require an action plan specific to methamphetamine with goals set to reduce demand and expand treatment and prevention programs.
