[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 67 (Thursday, May 25, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H3857-H3858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CLUB DRUG ANTIPROLIFERATION ACT OF 2000

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague from 
California (Mr. Rogan) to introduce the Club Drug Antiproliferation Act 
of 2000, legislation to combat the recent rise in trafficking, 
distribution and abuse of club drugs such as Ecstasy, Liquid Ecstasy, 
Speed and PMA.
  Club drugs refer to drugs being used by young adults at all-night 
dance parties such as raves or trances, dance clubs and bars. Young 
Americans are lured into a belief that club drugs are safe ways to get 
high, escape reality, and enhance intimacy. The drug traffickers make 
their living off of perpetuating and exploiting this myth.
  The Office of National Drug Control Policy's year 2000 Annual Report 
on the National Drug Control Strategy clearly states that the use of 
club drugs is on the rise in the United States, particularly among 
teenagers and young professionals. Data also reflects the increasing 
availability of club drugs in metropolitan centers and suburban 
communities.
  In a speech to the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation earlier this 
year, the United States Customs Commissioner, Raymond Kelly, stated 
that in the first few months of fiscal year 2000, the Customs Service 
already had seized over 4 million tablets of Ecstasy, an immensely 
popular club drug. He estimates that the number will grow to at least 8 
million tablets by the end of the year, representing a substantial 
increase from 500,000 tablets seized in fiscal year 1997.
  Do not be fooled by the innocent term ``club drugs;'' no club drug is 
benign. Chronic abuse of club drugs appears to produce long-term damage 
to the brain, and sometimes the damage caused by club drugs can do more 
than harm the brain. It can be deadly. Recently in my district in 
Illinois, a Naperville Central High School student died after ingesting 
a very powerful party drug called PMA.
  Sadly, Federal law does not take club drugs seriously enough. For 
example, under current Federal sentencing guidelines, one gram of 
Ecstasy is equivalent to only 35 grams of marijuana. In contrast, one 
gram of methamphetamine is equivalent to 2 kilograms of marijuana. 
These weak sentencing guidelines result in relatively short periods of 
incarceration for individuals sentenced for Ecstasy-related crimes. 
When the potential profitability of this drug is weighed against the 
potential punishment, it is easy to see what makes club drugs extremely 
interactive to professional smugglers.

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. Speaker, the Club Drug Antiproliferation Act of 2000 addresses 
this fast-growing and disturbing problem. First, the bill addresses the 
base

[[Page H3858]]

level offense for club drug-related crimes, making those crimes equal 
to that of trafficking methamphetamine. This provision also 
accomplishes the goal of effectively lowering the amount of drugs 
required for a swift prosecution sending a message to Federal 
prosecutors that club drugs are a serious threat.
  Second, through law enforcement and community education programs, 
this bill will provide for a national club drug information campaign. 
As more Americans are made aware of the unpredictable impurities and 
side effects of club drugs, it is our hope that law enforcement will 
begin to see a dramatic reduction in the quantities of club drugs 
present on our streets. Let us do what we can to save our children from 
the fate of that young high school student in our district.
  Mr. Speaker, the Club Drug Antiproliferation Act of 2000 can only 
help in our fight against drug abuse in the United States. I urge all 
of my colleagues to join the gentleman from California (Mr. Rogan) and 
myself in this important effort by cosponsoring this bill.

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