CONGRESSWOMAN MARY BONO MACK PROUDLY SERVING CALIFORNIA'S 45TH DISTRICT

I join my colleagues in Congress and Americans across the country in being deeply saddened by the tremendous loss of life and devastation caused by this massive earthquake in Haiti.  My heart goes out to the families of the victims during this most difficult time. 

I am pleased that our country and our allies are already working to bring needed relief to the people of Haiti and help prevent more lives from being taken by this natural disaster. 

***Note:  Families of Americans living in Haiti are encouraged to contact the State Department at 888-407-4747.

Drug abuse and addiction remains a major challenge in the U.S. and throughout the Western Hemisphere and is threatening the health, safety, and even future of our .  It is essential that we work on all levels to aggressively address not only the seemingly unending supply of illicit substances crossing our borders but also curb the demand for these substances. We need to update and refresh our laws that will strengthen enforcement while improving prevention efforts that will keep our youth off drugs in the first place.

Our efforts should not be limited to ‘street’ drugs – we must ensure tighter regulations of prescription drugs, which can be just as addictive and deadly as drugs prescribed by a doctor.

By working together as a nation, as communities and families, we can fight the dangerous cycle of drug abuse and violence it perpetuates. It is my hope that by refreshing U.S. policy, we can ensure greater awareness for this critical issue and effectively curb the drug trade. Too many lives have been destroyed already; it is time we work together across country lines, and make this issue a topic of conversation in our homes and in the Chambers of Congress that will keep drugs off our streets, out of our homes and promote a healthier, drug-free society.

Click here to watch Congresswoman Bono Mack’s testimony on drug abuse before the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

NOTE: The House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere yesterday passed the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act (H.R. 2134), which I was an original co-sponsor of. This legislation will create an independent commission to evaluate U.S. counternarcotics policies and programs.

While the United States accounts for approximately 5 percent of world population, in 2007, an estimated 17.2 percent of the world’s users of illegal drugs were from the United States. One hundred percent of the United States cocaine supply, and 90 percent of the United States heroin supply originates in South America. In addition, the countries of Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico are key transit countries for drugs entering the US.