Etheridge Applauds Passage if Anti0Meth Legislation

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

March 9, 2006

Contact: Joanne Peters
Phone: (202) 225-4531

Etheridge Applauds Passage of Anti-Meth Legislation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), a member of the Congressional Meth Caucus, today applauded the approval of legislation that will help protect North Carolina from the dangers of methamphetamine use.

The President signed the Patriot Act renewal into law today, which includes provisions that will help North Carolina to eliminate meth labs. Etheridge voted for the act in the House of Representatives. The law restricts sales of ingredients used to produce meth, such as pseudoephedrine, provides funding to help local law enforcement fight meth and increases penalties for individuals who produce or traffic meth.

The number of meth labs in North Carolina has grown dramatically in recent years, from nine in 1999 to 328 in 2005. North Carolina currently has a law that restricts the sale of ingredients used to produce meth.

"I am pleased to see this important legislation signed into law," said Etheridge. "North Carolina's rural communities have been plagued by meth labs in recent years. Meth use puts not only the user in danger, but also children in the home, neighbors and first responders. This new law will assist our local law enforcement in their fight against meth."

Some of the key provisions of the bill will:

Restrict the sale of ingredients used to make meth by placing medicines with pseudoephrderin, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine behind the counter, requiring purchasers to show identification and sign a log and limiting individual purchases to nine grams a month and 3.6 grams a day.
Provide an additional $99 million per year over five years for the Meth Hot Spots initiative, which trains state and local law enforcement to investigate meth offenders and expands personnel and equipment for enforcement, prosecution and environmental clean up. North Carolina has received funding from this initiative in the past
Strengthen criminal penalties for meth production and trafficking.
Improve international enforcement of meth trafficking by requiring new reporting and certification procedures for countries that import or export pseudoephedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine.
Provide $20 million for Drug Endangered Children rapid response teams to assist and educate children affected by meth.
Strengthen environmental regulation of meth byproducts.

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