It Must be Patriotic to Combat Meth

As posed in a previous post, it appears that the federal anti-meth legislation was included in the Patriot Act renewal bill to help its passage.

Below is the text of an email release from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN):

Law enforcement efforts to reduce meth abuse in Tennessee received a tremendous boost today when the Senate voted to reauthorize the U.S.A. Patriot Act. As a result of this reauthorization, local and state officials will receive much needed assistance in their fight against the meth epidemic while our nation’s law enforcement and intelligence communities are guaranteed continued access to the most vital tools they need to fight the War on Terror.
Local law enforcement officials rank methamphetamine abuse as the country’s most significant drug problem, and Tennessee is no exception. As a result, I have made addressing this issue one of my top law enforcement priorities as the Senate majority leader.
The key component of this legislation is the establishment of restrictions on the sale of medicines containing ingredients used to manufacture meth. This new federal legislation will not pre-empt state laws that place even tougher restrictions on access to meth ingredients, but it will ensure that all states abide by the same minimum standards.
As those on the frontlines in protecting Tennesseans from harm – whether in the form of devastating drugs or dangerous people – our state’s law enforcement officials deserve not only our gratitude but also the federal government’s support. I hope you will find the following details about the legislation helpful.
Bill Frist

Combat Meth Act Provisions
Medicines containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine (PPA) will be placed behind the counter. Purchasers will be limited to acquiring only enough medication containing meth ingredients as is necessary for legitimate medical use.
This is a meaningful first step in addressing America’s meth abuse crisis. Applying the same minimum standards in all 50 states is a commonsense alternative to the current, easily exploited patchwork of state laws. This legislation will provide additional reinforcement to our state’s efforts to tackle the meth problem by making it difficult for meth cooks to bring large quantities of meth ingredients into the state.
Under the new legislation, local and state officials across the country will benefit from increased funding for personnel, equipment, enforcement, prosecution and environmental clean-up through the Meth Hot Spots program, which is authorized to receive $99,000,000 per year for the next five years under the Combat Meth Epidemic Act. The legislation also authorizes $20,000,000 in grant funding in 2006 and 2007 for Drug Endangered Children rapid response teams.
Funding available in the Combat Meth Act will supplement increased funding Tennessee is already receiving. Last year, Sen. Lamar Alexander, Rep. Zach Wamp and I worked together to secure $3 million to establish a statewide methamphetamine task force and $1 million for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to develop a statewide crime tracking system. The TBI intelligence and operational law enforcement database will support the task force’s work across the state. The $4 million in total anti-methamphetamine funding will help ensure that all regions of Tennessee have the training and equipment they need to address the state’s methamphetamine crisis.
The Department of Health and Human Services also awarded $17.8 million to Tennessee through the Access to Recovery Program last year. That funding will be distributed over three years to enhance substance abuse clinical treatment and provide recovery support services. In August, the state was awarded an additional $1.5 million over three years to support treatment in six rural counties that have been especially hard hit by methamphetamine.