PANEL PASSES METH CURBS

Congress May Approve Drug Limits, Prison Terms

A key House subcommittee passed legislation yesterday that would curb
access to pseudoephedrine-containing drugs and impose mandatory minimum
sentences for those convicted in federal court of methamphetamine abuse.

The Senate passed a similar version of the bill in September. The House
version, sponsored by Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., now goes before the full
Judiciary Committee, which is expected to vote on the bill later this year.

Local law-enforcement officials from both rural and urban areas have been
clamoring for greater federal help in dealing with the manufacture and use
of illegal meth.

The bill, the Meth Epidemic Elimination Act, would require that such
products as Sudafed be sold in limited quantities. The bill passed the
subcommittee by a vote of 8-2, and it also imposes strict mandatory minimum
penalties, which opponents said would do more harm than good.

The penalties are the same for those who manufacture, distribute or possess
meth.

Under the bill, the mandatory minimum penalty for a first-time offender
found with more than 5 grams of meth would be 10 years in jail. A second
offense would be punished with a 20-year sentence and a third offense with
life imprisonment.

"It's too much. It's too tough, and it destroys too many lives," said Rep.
Maxine Waters, D-Cailf, who opposed the bill.

Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., said that in the 20 years since mandatory minimum
sentencing began for drug offenders, it has done little to curb drug abuse
and related crimes.

"This bill won't reduce crime, and it's a waste of taxpayer money because
it doesn't work," Scott said.

Mary Price, the general counsel for Families Against Mandatory Minimums, a
nonpartisan advocacy group opposed to the bill, said that the legislation
would weaken existing laws. She also argued that pursuing smaller producers
would allow big-time ones to avoid prosecution. Under current law, a
mandatory minimum sentence is triggered by possession of 50 grams or more
of meth.

"We are going to be encouraging a lot of low-level prosecutions," Price said.

According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the mean length of
imprisonment for methamphetamine users is a little more than eight years.

Souder's bill allows states to impose stricter laws if they wish.

Under the bill, it would also be illegal to buy more than 3.6 grams of
pseudoephedrine products per transaction, regardless of whether the
medication was in pill or liquid form.

This amount is slightly more than what is in a single standard package of
medication. Current law says that a person can buy up to 9 grams.

Additionally, if the product is not in liquid form, it would need to be
stored behind the counter.

Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, supported the bill, but said that this
provision was a bit extreme because it was punishing those who need the
medication for legitimate use.

"At least let me buy two packages when I go to the drugstore," said
Gohmert, who added that he uses the products to stop snoring when he is sick.