[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 556 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 556

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a National 
   Methamphetamine Prevention Week should be established to increase 
awareness of methamphetamine and to educate the public on ways to help 
               prevent the use of that damaging narcotic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2005

   Mr. Baird (for himself, Mr. Souder, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. 
 Simmons, Mr. Case, Ms. McCollum of Minnesota, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Burton 
  of Indiana, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Tanner, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Sweeney, Mr. 
   Cooper, Ms. Herseth, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Peterson of 
 Pennsylvania, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Wamp, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. 
 Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. Berry, Mr. Ross, and Mr. Scott of Georgia) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a National 
   Methamphetamine Prevention Week should be established to increase 
awareness of methamphetamine and to educate the public on ways to help 
               prevent the use of that damaging narcotic.

Whereas methamphetamine is a highly addictive, man-made drug that can be 
        injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally, the effects of which 
        include feelings of euphoria that last for up to 24 hours and psychotic 
        behavior such as auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, delusions, 
        and paranoia, potentially causing the user to experience homicidal or 
        suicidal thoughts as well as violent behavior and brain damage;
Whereas the number of admissions to treatment in which methamphetamine was the 
        primary substance of abuse increased exponentially from 20,776 in 1993 
        to 116,604 in 2003;
Whereas methamphetamine is easily produced in clandestine laboratories, known as 
        ``meth labs'', using a variety of volatile and toxic ingredients 
        available in stores, and presents a danger to the individual preparing 
        the methamphetamine, the community surrounding the laboratory, and the 
        law enforcement personnel who discover the laboratory;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration reports that domestic meth lab 
        seizures have increased from 7,438 in 1999 to 17,170 in 2004;
Whereas studies have found that methamphetamine use is strongly linked to 
        identity theft, domestic violence, overall crime rates, child abuse, and 
        child neglect;
Whereas the National Association of Counties has conducted surveys with law 
        enforcement and child welfare officials in more than 500 counties, and 
        found that 87 percent of all law enforcement agencies surveyed reported 
        increases in methamphetamine-related arrests in recent years, and 40 
        percent of all the child welfare officials in the survey reported 
        increased out-of-home placements of children due to methamphetamine use;
Whereas methamphetamine use and production is prevalent around the world;
Whereas approximately 65 percent of the methamphetamine supply in the United 
        States is trafficked in the form of a finished product from other 
        countries;
Whereas the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that more than 
        30,000,000 people around the world use amphetamine-type stimulants, a 
        number that eclipses the combined global use of cocaine and heroin;
Whereas methamphetamine and narcotics task forces, judges, prosecutors, defense 
        attorneys, substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation professionals, 
        law enforcement officials, researchers, students and educators, 
        community leaders, parents, and others dedicated to fighting 
        methamphetamine have a profound influence within their communities; and
Whereas the establishment of a National Methamphetamine Prevention Week would 
        increase awareness of methamphetamine and educate the public on 
        effective ways to help prevent methamphetamine use at the international, 
        Federal, State, and local levels: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) a National Methamphetamine Prevention Week should be 
        established to increase awareness of methamphetamine and 
        educate the public on effective ways to help prevent 
        methamphetamine use at the international, Federal, State, and 
        local levels; and
            (2) the people of the United States and interested groups 
        should be encouraged to observe National Methamphetamine 
        Prevention Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
                                 <all>