For Immediate Release:
Contact: Jessica Snorgrass: 202–395–6796
Jennifer de Vallance: 202–395–6648
July 18th, 2003
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Official Testifies on Status of Methamphetamine Problem in U.S.
(WASHINGTON, DC)—John C. Horton, Associate Deputy Director for State and Local Affairs of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), testified Friday before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources about the dangers of methamphetamine, one of the fastest growing drug threats in America. In 2001, an estimated 9.6 million U.S. residents over the age of 12 had used methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime, and between 650,000 and 700,000 people were monthly users, a number which was on the rise for adults. Although all illegal substances cause damage to America's communities, the distinct environmental, physical and social consequences of methamphetamine abuse combine to make the drug particularly devastating.
"Meth is unique in the extent to which the manufacturing process itself causes harm to neighbors, the environment, property values, and tragically, to innocent victims such as young children," Horton said. "Meth is fundamentally an adulterated mixture of pharmaceutical extracts and poison," Horton continued, adding that the harmful chemical aftermath of a methamphetamine lab can last for years.
An especially disturbing side-effect of the methamphetamine trade is the increase in the number of children found living in meth lab residences. Consequences to these children often include inhalation or ingestion of toxic substances, accidental injection from discarded needles, and an increased likelihood of physical or sexual abuse and malnutrition.
John P. Walters, Director of ONDCP, said, "The devastating consequences of methamphetamine that are affecting our children require our immediate attention. We need to acknowledge the sweeping consequences of this drug, particularly the impact on innocent children."
The long-term effects of methamphetamine use include paranoia, schizophrenia-like symptoms, confusion, and violence. Manufactured both domestically and abroad, the drug is made largely from household items such as cold medicines, batteries, matches, and hydrogen peroxide. The manufacturing of the drug is also strongly correlated, more so than with cocaine or heroin trafficking, to increases in car thefts, forgeries and, particularly, identity theft. Given the severe impact that the drug has on both users and communities, government officials intend to attack the problem.
"We are working hard to ratchet up costs to both the trafficker and the methamphetamine cook at a tempo that prevents the methamphetamine trade from adapting to new pressures or continuing its expansion," Horton said. Officials will also try to shut down methamphetamine "super-labs" in Canada and Mexico, increase substance abuse treatment funding, provide an alternative to incarceration through the Drug Courts program, and update state laws regarding child endangerment and neglect.
