WASHINGTON – The Senate last night passed the Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021,
legislation introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Grassley
(R-Iowa). The bill designates methamphetamine as an emerging drug threat and
directs the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to implement a plan
to address the rising use of methamphetamine.
“For years, meth has taken lives and destroyed
families across America, particularly in the Midwest. Though this drug is not
new, drug traffickers are finding new and harmful ways to increase meth’s
potency and distribution, spiking overdose rates. By declaring meth an emerging
drug threat, our bill helps law enforcement better respond to the challenges
presented by drug traffickers’ evolving tactics, and urges our federal partners
to continue to prioritize a response and strategy to address the meth crisis.
I’m grateful for the Senate’s action to advance this important bipartisan bill,
and the House should pass it without delay,” Grassley said.
“I thank my Senate colleagues on the passage of
this important legislation to address the rising problem of methamphetamine
abuse. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health found that
methamphetamine-related overdose deaths nearly tripled from 2015-2019. By
designating this dangerous drug as an emerging threat, we’ll be able to better
address this problem with a whole-of-government approach,” Feinstein said.
What the bill
does:
- Declares
methamphetamine an emerging drug threat, as defined in section 702 of the Office
of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998.
- Requires ONDCP to
develop, implement and make public, within 90 days of enactment, a national
emerging threats response plan that is specific to methamphetamine, in
accordance with section 709(d) of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Reauthorization Act of 1998.
- The ONDCP plan must
be updated annually and include the following:
- An assessment of
the methamphetamine threat, including the current availability of, and demand
for the drug, and evidence-based prevention and treatment programs, as well as
law enforcement programs;
- Short- and long-term
goals, including those focused on supply and demand reduction, and on expanding
the availability and effectiveness of treatment and prevention programs;
- Performance
measures pertaining to the plan’s goals;
- The level of
funding needed to implement the plan; and
- An implementation
strategy, goals, and objectives for a media campaign.
The
Methamphetamine
Response Act passed the Senate in November 2020, but did not pass the House
before the end of the congressional session. The bill was
reintroduced
in March 2021. Senator Grassley currently serves as co-chair of the Senate
Caucus on International Narcotics Control. Senator Feinstein is the immediate
past co-chair. Senators Feinstein and Grassley wrote an
op-ed
in July 2021 discussing strategies to address rising drug abuse and overdoses.
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