[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 3, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H2784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      DANGERS OF METHAMPHETAMINES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to spend some time this 
evening talking about something that I think should concern all of us 
on both sides of the aisle here, something that sometimes flies under 
the radar screen in our country, and that is the epidemic of 
methamphetamine abuse.
  Methamphetamines first came into prominence during World War II. It 
was often given to kamikaze pilots, Japanese military, before they took 
off, never to return. Some of the German military units going on almost 
certain deaths missions also used it.
  It is the most highly addictive drug that has been discovered. It 
often causes addiction after one usage; and hardly any other drug that 
is known to man will do that to you. It releases huge amounts of 
dopamine, thousands of times the amount of dopamine that a normal 
pleasurable experience that is not drug-induced might cause a person to 
experience. It creates euphoria that last between 6 and 8 hours, and an 
increased sense of well-being and confidence.
  Increased energy, many times soccer moms, people who are working two 
jobs will fall prey to methamphetamine abuse. And of course, it also 
provides the ability to remain awake for long periods of time, 
sometimes as much as 6 or 7 days so truck drivers, people in those 
types of professions, oftentimes begin to use it.
  It often results in weight loss and it is relatively inexpensive. So 
there are many attractive elements to it. But the long term effects are 
disastrous. Whatever comes up must come down, and you come down really 
hard off of methamphetamine. It produces anxiety, depression, 
hallucinations, many times psychoses. Violent behavior is often a side 
effect.
  It usually rots teeth very rapidly. Crank bugs, the feeling that bugs 
are crawling on your skin and, therefore, people try to pick them out 
so there are usually huge skin lesions on the arms and legs of those 
addicted to methamphetamines. Early death and stroke.
  It always causes brain damage. Every time you use methamphetamines it 
destroys brain tissue. It is not long before a person who maybe is a 
young person who has been on meth for 6 months or a year will have a 
brain scan almost identical to a 70- or 80-year old Alzheimer's patient 
because of the brain lesions in the brain.
  It is very common in rural areas. It is often manufactured in the 
country side because of the odor and toxic chemicals that are used. It 
is made from pseudophedrine, a common cold medicine which all of us 
have had some experience with. But there are some other additives that 
are a little less innocuous, lithium batteries, drain cleaner, starter 
fluid, anhydrous ammonia, and iodine so it is a tremendously toxic mix.
  It costs roughly 5 to $6,000 to clean up a meth lab. Some areas in 
middle America have had as many as 1,500 to 2,000 meth labs a year 
being cleaned up, so it is a huge expense and it is a real blight on 
the countryside.
  The average meth addiction and addict in my State, Nebraska, will 
commit roughly 60 crimes a year to support their habit. So if you have 
a small community with 10 meth addicts, you have got 600 crimes being 
committed. It has changed the whole tenor of small towns in many areas 
because of this increased crime.
  Many counties in these areas spend 70 to 80 percent of their law 
enforcement dollars and their manpower on meth prevention and meth 
treatment. The majority of jail and prison cells are occupied by those 
who are addicted by meth. And most of the child abuse in these areas, 
most of the child neglect and most of the deaths that children 
experience are as a result of parents and others who are addicted to 
methamphetamine.
  So the question is what can Congress do?
  First of all, the Byrne grants that we are somewhat familiar with are 
what fund the meth lab clean-ups. And the Byrne grants absolutely have 
to be funded so this is critical. Also the COPS program is critical to 
the interdiction and the disruption of meth traffic.
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), and also the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Souder), have introduced legislation that regulates the 
sale of pseudophedrine that is necessary to manufacture 
methamphetamine, and provide funds for meth lab cleanup, law 
enforcement and child protection.
  So I hope that my colleagues both sides of the aisle will join in 
this fight. This is a real blight on our country and is creating a 
devastation throughout our country, but particularly in the rural area.




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