Column for the Week of February 12th: Continuing to Fight the Meth Problem in Iowa
Column for the Week of February 12th: Continuing to Fight the Meth Problem in Iowa
On February 7th, the House passed H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, a significant piece of legislation addressing the continuing methamphetamine epidemic our nation faces. Iowans know first hand the destructive nature of meth, and as a Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, I am proud to report our progress on this important issue.
Meth has wreaked havoc on our communities. Every district in our nation has in some way felt the impact of what meth can do to families, the burden it places on local law enforcement and public health, and the toxic effect it has on the environment. In Iowa alone, we had roughly 350 meth lab busts last year. Although this number is significantly down from the 1500 meth labs busted in 2004, it still presents a tremendous problem for all Iowans. H.R. 365 directs the EPA to develop health-based guidelines to assist state and local authorities in cleaning up former meth lab sites.
In order to effectively continue our efforts to eradicate meth from our communities, we need every piece of information available, and this legislation will increase that pool of information that local law enforcement and others rely upon.
I am particularly pleased that this legislation takes the necessary steps to coordinate the development of meth detection equipment, with emphasis on field detection equipment. I believe having reliable equipment in the field will not only strengthen meth related cases, but will increase the safety of our law enforcement officers, enabling them to take the necessary steps to protect themselves from the toxic environment created by the production of methamphetamine.
Furthermore, the study commissioned by this legislation as to the long-term effects of exposure to meth labs on children and first responders is long overdue, and I am proud that this legislation addresses this issue.
I remain fully committed to eradicating methamphetamine from our communities. As Iowa has been a national leader on the fight against meth, I am proud to be able to bring Iowa's voice to the table when dealing with our national meth epidemic.
http://boswell.house.gov/article.asp?id=646