“Ice has destroyed thousands of individual lives and families in Hawaii.  It’s devastated entire communities here and across the country.  Law enforcement is doing a heroic job, but they need more tools.  This bill brings the unique scope, authority and resources of the Federal government to fill some critical gaps in the battle against ice.  We all have a stake in this fight, and Congress should move quickly to pass this legislation.”

The “Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act,” would close several existing loopholes in federal regulation of precursor chemicals (used to manufacture methamphetamine) by: 

• Ending the so-called “blister pack” exemption (which allows unlimited sales of pseudoephedrine and other precursor products), and setting a 3.6 gram limit per transaction on sales of precursor products;
• Setting import, export, and manufacturing quotas on precursor products; and
• Authorizing DEA to regulate the wholesale “spot market” for precursors.

Provisions that toughen enforcement against methamphetamine traffickers and address the international and environmental aspects of the problem include: 

• Lowering the threshold amounts of methamphetamine that trigger federal drug trafficking penalties;
• Requiring federal reporting on major exporting and importing countries of precursor chemicals, and holding those countries accountable; and
• Requiring federal agencies to declare certain methamphetamine lab by-products as hazardous chemicals subject to environmental regulation.

-30-