[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 139 (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H5450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE EPIDEMIC OF DRUG USE

  (Mr. ZINKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. ZINKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the need for us to 
work together to fight the epidemic of meth and other dangerous drugs. 
Meth affects all of our communities.
  In Montana, the criminal justice and foster care systems are being 
pushed to their absolute limits. In Missoula County this year, 72 cases 
of meth. At the same time in 2007, there were zero. And the meth 
seizures are up 38 percent.
  So what can we do? We need to stop the drug from making its way to 
communities, and we need to secure our southern border. The FBI, DEA, 
Border Patrol, and local law enforcement officials all say the same 
thing. Mexico is where the preponderance of the drugs are coming from. 
We know how to stop it and we can shut it down, and we can secure our 
southern border.
  We also need to empower our health providers to provide addicts and 
users a path for recovery. All too often, those who suffer drug 
addiction also battle with mental health issues, and, sadly, it drives 
many to take their own lives.
  I was at a powwow with the Assiniboine-Sioux, the great nation, and a 
gentleman told me a term for it, ``oh-nee-op-ee,'' which means complete 
loss of hope. I haven't lost hope. I believe this House and this Nation 
are up to the task.

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