Washington, D.C. - The House of Representatives passed an amendment today (403 to 2) commissioning the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to study methamphetamine usage in the United States.  The bipartisan amendment was offered by U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) and co-chairs of the Congressional Meth Caucus. The amendment calls on ONDCP to report on several critical meth issues, including state Drug Endangered Children programs and state laws on access to meth precursors.  These reports will be used to develop a coherent and comprehensive national strategy to fight meth.  The amendment also creates a National Methamphetamine Information Clearinghouse that will provide information to, and facilitate information sharing among, federal, state, and local agencies about meth trafficking, abuse, treatment, and prevention. 

“As co-chair of the Congressional Meth Caucus, I have worked to engage the Office of National Drug Control Policy on the growing problem of methamphetamine in my district and across the country. While gains have been made through this work, the time has come for ONDCP to take methamphetamine more seriously and devote more resources to its eradication,” said Larsen.

According to a 2005 survey issued by the National Association of Counties, 58 percent of counties across the county reported methamphetamine as their greatest drug problem.

Larsen continued, “It is time for the federal government to address the problem of meth head-on.  This amendment calls on ONDCP to study the way states are approaching the fight against methamphetamine, and explore ways to expand successful approaches into a national strategy to fight this deadly drug.”