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Meth Free Families and Communities Act

Date: Sept. 23, 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care


METH FREE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES ACT -- (House of Representatives - September 23, 2008)

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in support of H.R. 6901, the Meth Free Families and Communities Act. Despite recent Federal efforts to curb abuse, meth addiction remains a national epidemic. In 2006, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that 1.9 million Americans age 12 and older had abused meth at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Recent trends suggest that meth use is up among women, including pregnant women and women of child-bearing age.

H.R. 6901 would amend the Public Health Service Act to improve prevention and treatment programs for meth addiction. The bill expands grants available for student-driven meth awareness programs, and prioritizes grants that are intended to reach areas lacking in mental health professionals and substance abuse treatment options.

This legislation seeks to improve treatment for meth addiction to pregnant and parenting women, and aims to help professionals recognize vulnerable populations for the purpose of preventing and treating addiction.

H.R. 6901 also provides information and educational materials to employers and employees about drug testing policies and programs.

H.R. 6901 helps our communities battle meth addiction by providing targeted education and treatment programs to the areas and people that need it most. It is the result of the very hard work of Representatives Hooley and Cubin. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of the bill.

I want to particularly thank Representative Hooley for her work on this legislation. As many of you know, she will not be with us after this session and I very much regret that because of all she has contributed as a congresswoman over the years. But passage of this bill is important to her legacy and important for the American people.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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