SENATE BILL UNDERMINES METH FIGHT

Oklahoma has made real progress in the fight against methamphetamine.
But across our country, other states are beginning to feel its
drastic effects. Public officials, and certainly law enforcement, in
nearly every state and large city have acknowledged the scourge of
meth. When the National Association of Counties recently asked law
enforcement agencies across 45 states about meth, 87 percent reported
increases in meth-related arrests starting three years ago.
Fifty-eight percent said meth was their biggest drug problem,
estimating that one in five of their current jail inmates were housed
because of a meth-related crime. Local officials also reported higher
rates of robberies, domestic violence, assaults and identity thefts
as a result of increased meth use.

No longer a rural phenomenon, meth has invaded the inner city. Large
cities, such as Chicago, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Miami and Long
Beach, Calif., are reporting higher addiction rates. The enormity of
the problem has become alarming, affecting people of every age and
social-economic group. When Oklahoma passed its anti-meth law in
2003, it turned out to be the most effective drug policy in decades.
Within months, the new law led to an 80 percent reduction in the
number of meth labs seized statewide. With the help of Rep. Tom Cole,
R-Okla., I have introduced the Methamphetamine Reduction Act in the
U.S. House, a bill to make the Oklahoma law a national standard. It
would move medicines containing pseudoephedrine, the crucial
ingredient to make meth, behind pharmacy counters. As in Oklahoma,
consumers would be required to present a photo I.D. and sign for
medicines containing the ingredient. These changes in law would
require no additional spending or new government programs.

Passing a national law would bring additional relief in Oklahoma's
battle against meth. Many border counties are not feeling the full
effects of the Oklahoma law because meth cooks are hopping state
lines to skirt our state's anti-meth restrictions. Meth cooks can
visit retail stores in neighboring states, purchase
pseudoephedrine-containing products in bulk, and bring it back to
Oklahoma to make meth. It is clear, that for Oklahoma's anti-meth
effort to succeed fully, bordering states must also control
pseudoephedrine. In light of meth's growing threat, other proposals
have been introduced in Congress - offering different approaches to
the problem. Currently a proposal exists in the U.S. Senate that
would inadvertently weaken Oklahoma's law.

Introduced by Sens. Jim Talent, R-Mo., and Diane Feinstein, D-Calif.,
the proposal is similar to Oklahoma's law except for a loophole that
would allow pseudoephedrine-containing medicines to be sold in
convenience stores. If passed, the bill would override Oklahoma's
current law to allow this exemption. Since convenience stores are not
subject to the same federal oversight as licensed pharmacies, this
exemption would weaken the strength of our anti-meth efforts and deal
a major blow to local law enforcement. I stand opposed to any
proposal that weakens Oklahoma's restrictions. The Boren/Cole
legislation builds on the success we've had in Oklahoma by using a
model that is simple and proven effective. The Sooner State was the
nation's laboratory for how to deal with the meth problem. Congress
should learn from our experience and help us bring Oklahoma's success
to the national level.

Reach Dan Boren at 216 Cannon, Washington, D.C,. 20515, or at (202)
225-2701 or his local office at 687-2533.