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Wyden and Smith
to Drug Czar: Where is the plan?
Senators Call for More Resources Dedicated
to Combat Meth
March 28, 2006
WASHINGTON, DC – In a meeting
on Capitol Hill today with the White House Drug Czar John Walters
U.S. Senators Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) pressed
the administration to step up their efforts to stop the spread
of the deadly and fiercely addictive drug Methamphetamine.
“Meth is creating a crisis
for Oregon families, and we wanted Mr. Walters to hear that bipartisan
message from two Senators who have seen its impact,” said
Wyden. “The White House has got to be a better partner,
and they can start by not cutting support for successful programs
that find and prosecute meth criminals.”
“The administration said two
years ago they would have a plan to combat drugs like methamphetamine,”
Smith said. “It’s been two years and we are still
waiting for a plan. Methamphetamine is the number one drug problem
in Oregon. Stopping the spread of methamphetamine should be a
top priority. Implementing a national strategy that recognizes
methamphetamine as a top threat is critical to stopping its production
and entry into the United States from foreign countries.”
Smith and Wyden called on the administration
to improve efforts to curb the manufacture of meth in other countries,
especially Mexico, which is an increasingly large source of the
drug. The Senators also called on the administration to preserve
funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program
under the jurisdiction of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy (ONDCP). The program currently helps law enforcement in
eight Oregon counties (Clackamas, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson,
Marion, Multnomah, Umatilla and Washington) to fight meth.
In February, Smith and Wyden led
a discussion of the methamphetamine epidemic in Portland, OR with
federal, state, and local law enforcement and treatment and prevention
experts. Officials at this meeting recognized the need for the
administration to step up its efforts in combating methamphetamine.
Smith and Wyden pledged to take their case to the White House.
They did so today in their meeting with John Walters, the director
of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
The ONDCP is responsible for setting the polices, priorities,
and objectives of the nation’s drug control program.
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