[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23810-23811]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                NATIONAL METHAMPHETAMINE AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. I ask unanimous consent to proceed to the 
consideration of S. Res. 703, submitted earlier.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 703) designating November 2008 as 
     ``National Methamphetamine Awareness Month,'' to increase 
     awareness of methamphetamine abuse.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be 
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid 
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any 
statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 703) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 703

       Whereas methamphetamine, an easily manufactured drug of the 
     amphetamine group, is a powerful and addictive central 
     nervous system stimulant with long-lasting effects;
       Whereas the National Association of Counties reported in 
     2007 that methamphetamine is the number 1 illegal drug 
     problem for 47 percent of the counties in the United States, 
     a higher percentage than that of any other drug;
       Whereas 4 out of 5 county sheriffs report that, while local 
     methamphetamine production is down, methamphetamine abuse is 
     not (the National Association of Counties found that \1/2\ of 
     the Nation's sheriffs report abuse of the drug has stayed the 
     same and nearly \1/3\ say that it has increased);
       Whereas the highest rates of methamphetamine use among all 
     ethnic groups occur within Native American communities;
       Whereas the consequence of methamphetamine use by many 
     young adults in the Native American community has been death, 
     including methamphetamine-related suicides;
       Whereas sheriffs report increases in crime directly related 
     to the presence of methamphetamine in their communities;
       Whereas most illegal methamphetamine available in the 
     United States is produced in large clandestine laboratories 
     in Mexico and smuggled into this country;
       Whereas methamphetamine labs are costly to clean up in that 
     every pound of methamphetamine produced can yield up to 5 
     pounds of toxic waste, representing a public danger to adults 
     and children;
       Whereas the profile of methamphetamine users is changing, 
     as \3/5\ of the Nation's sheriffs report increased 
     methamphetamine use by women and \1/2\ of the Nation's 
     sheriffs report increased use by teens;

[[Page 23811]]

       Whereas, in surveys on the abuse of methamphetamine among 
     teens, many of the respondents said that the drug was easy to 
     get and believed there is little risk in trying it;
       Whereas other National Association of Counties surveys have 
     shown that methamphetamine also places significant burdens on 
     local social service and health care resources, increasing 
     out-of-home placements for children, sending more people to 
     public hospital emergency rooms than any other drug, and 
     producing an ever-growing need for methamphetamine treatment 
     programs; and
       Whereas the establishment of a National Methamphetamine 
     Awareness month would increase awareness of methamphetamine 
     and educate the public on effective ways to help prevent 
     methamphetamine use at the Federal, State, and local levels: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates November 2008 as ``National Methamphetamine 
     Awareness Month'' to increase awareness of methamphetamine 
     abuse; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States and 
     interested groups to observe National Methamphetamine 
     Awareness Month with appropriate educational programs and 
     outreach activities.

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