CAUCUS WILL HEIGHTEN METH AWARENESS

I have often said methamphetamine use is the greatest threat to Iowans that
I have seen in my lifetime. Our rural communities have never incurred an
invasion like they are today. Every community has had its share of problems
with drugs, but we have never had to teach our children about the telltale
smell of a meth lab and warn them of the dangers associated with the
mini-toxic waste dump that is an abandoned meth lab.

Meth remains the drug of choice in Iowa because it is easy to manufacture
and complex drug cartels have flooded the market.

Last year, Iowa's Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE) seized almost
40,000 grams of meth worth nearly $4 million. On a national level, the Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) estimates more than 60 percent of all meth labs
are located in ordinary homes and abandoned farmsteads in rural and
residential areas, making it difficult for police to detect.

I, along with Representatives Brian Baird (D-Wa.), Ken Calvert (R-Ca.) and
Chris Cannon (R-Ut.), formed a bipartisan congressional caucus to bring the
growing nationwide problems and dangers associated with the abuse and
production of methamphetamine to the attention of members of Congress. The
working group, already composed of 35 members from both sides of the aisle,
will formally be titled the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control
Methamphetamine (Meth).

I have met with numerous law enforcement officials and learned firsthand
the devastation of this dangerous drug. Iowans have been keyed into the
problem for a number of years, but I believe the focus has slipped. One of
my top priorities for forming the caucus is to create national awareness
about the destruction Iowans have seen because of meth.

Last year, 658 clandestine meth labs were seized in Iowa. The number is up
from 500 labs seized in 1999. These labs pose extreme environmental and
explosive hazards. Each pound of meth produced leaves behind five to six
pounds of toxic waste. The average cost of a cleanup is about $5,000 but
can cost up to $150,000.

The problem has not gone away. Iowans and the nation should remain focused
on eliminating meth abuse. We cannot allow this crisis to continue.

If you have comments or are having difficulty with a federal agency, call
my office toll-free, 1-888-432-1984.