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| Fighting the Meth Scourge |
November 16, 2005 |
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Dear Friends,
Sheriff Darren White and I share a common memory. He was the head of the State Police when I was head of Children, Youth and Families about 10 years ago or so. A man traveling on I-40 with his two sons was on meth. Paranoia and violence are associated with this potent drug. The man became convinced that one of his sons was possessed by the devil. He pulled over to the shoulder of the road and beheaded his son. Darren investigated the crime. My Department took custody of the younger brother who had seen everything.
When I talk to local law enforcement and ask them what their biggest problems are, meth often comes up. Rural counties have trouble paying bills of $1,500 to $250,000 to clean up the toxic sites.
In 2000, we helped get EPA funds transferred to help with this cost when the spike in meth lab busts outran the funding available for New Mexico. And in the same year, we brought the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime to New Mexico for a field hearing on this problem.
Last week, we passed the final hurdle for the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill. It includes funds for training police and cleaning up Meth Labs.
This week, we passed the Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act through the Energy and Commerce Committee. I`m a co-sponsor of the bill, which has since been added into another bill to be voted on in early December.
Among other things, the bill will put tighter controls on selling pseudoephedrine -- the ingredient in some cold medicines used in making meth.
These cold medicines would have to be behind a counter or in a locked cabinet and people would have to show IDs to buy them. The law would also reduce the amount of the drug any individual can buy in a single day.
I hope this legislation helps Darren White and his deputies and that fewer people get hooked on this terrible drug.
Wish you were here,
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