(Washington, D.C.)  Congresswoman Cathy McMorris today recognized November 30th as National Methamphetamine Awareness Day and highlighted the importance of fighting the war on meth and keeping the drug out of our communities.

“Methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous drug and we must make it a priority to educate our children and young adults about the risks associated with it,” said McMorris. “The dangers of meth are high because it is easily produced, readily accessible and highly additive. The use of meth has numerous social costs and also leads to increased crime. We must continue to work to stop the spread of meth in Eastern Washington and throughout the country.”

In Spokane it is estimated that 80% of crime and 90% of check fraud is drug and meth related. In 2004, Washington ranked 6th in the country in total meth seizures, ahead of California.

This past year, the President signed into law the Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act (H.R. 3889), which McMorris cosponsored. It is the first comprehensive anti-meth legislation to be signed into law. This legislation will help stop the spread of meth by making it more difficult to obtain the necessary ingredients to manufacture meth and by tightening criminal penalties for those who traffic in this dangerous drug.

In an effort to help meet the unique needs of children who are taken away from drug homes, McMorris has started a program to collect and donate stuffed animals to give to law enforcement to distribute locally. When children are taken away from a meth home they cannot bring anything with them – not even a blanket or teddy bear. Since the beginning of the year, McMorris has collected over a 100 stuffed animals that have been distributed to children throughout Eastern Washington.

McMorris is also a member of The Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine. The Caucus works to raise national awareness of the dangers posed by meth abuse and to advance strong public policy to fight against meth manufacturing, distribution, and use.