August 26, 2001

Washington, D.C.- A disturbing trend in drug use is sweeping across the Midwest, and sadly, Oklahoma is leading the way. Methamphetamine, a cheap and easily produced illegal substance more addictive than crack cocaine, is becoming the drug of choice in the Midwest.

This isn't a drug problem only our city cousins need to worry about. Police are finding meth labs in urban, suburban, and rural areas of Oklahoma. Last year, Oklahoma ranked number one per capita in the number of meth labs seized. According to the OSBI, there have been approximately 900 meth labs seized in Oklahoma already this year alone. I've heard of labs busted in Garber, Yukon, and Clinton this month alone. The Oklahoma City Police Department told me they are busting an average of one or two labs each day.

I met with Oklahoma City Police and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation this month to find out firsthand what they are dealing with, how prevalent this problem is in Oklahoma, and what I can do to help. I'm even more concerned about this problem now, after hearing them tell me how easy this drug is to manufacture, and how hard it is to eliminate.

The ingredients for methamphetamine are easy to obtain. It is made from household products and the recipe is relatively simple. The meth labs can be hidden easily and can even fit in a suitcase or in the trunk of a car. Police are also finding labs in motel rooms, garages, and abandoned barns.

The drug, which is a stimulant that can be snorted, smoked, or taken intravenously, gives its users a "high" similar to an adrenaline rush, but causes severe withdrawals that can last months at a time. Users have been known to lose interest in any other aspect of their lives except getting their next hit. They will disregard friends, family, and even bathing, eating, or sleeping, so that they can stay on the drug.

What is just as frightening as the effects the drug has on our communities and our children, is the fact that the labs themselves pose a serious danger to surrounding neighborhoods. When mixed, the ingredients for meth are toxic and extremely flammable. The slightest spark can cause these labs to explode, endangering the lives and property of innocent neighbors.

Another dangerous after-effect of meth is that when meth "cooks" manufacture the drug they create toxic byproducts that are extremely dangerous to the environment. Meth cooks usually just dump these byproducts into the neighborhood, but when police bust a meth lab, they must dispose of them properly. This is causing an expensive burden on local law enforcement that they had not anticipated. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation tells me that meth lab cleanups in Oklahoma cost an average of $2,500 each.

Because of the cost of cleanups, as well as the need to train rural county sheriff's offices now dealing with this problem, I'm asking my colleagues in Congress to address the need for resources to law enforcement. Last month, I fought for an $11.7 million increase in funding for anti-methamphetamine programs for state and local law enforcement, bringing an amendment to the floor of the U.S. House requesting the funding. The fight will continue for this funding, when House and Senate negotiators meet to work out differences in the bill. Last year, I worked to help secure $1.5 million in funding for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to fight methamphetamine labs.

And I'm continuing the fight for $1 million for the Oklahoma City Police Department as part of the COPS/hot spots program to fight methamphetamine, as well as $500,000 for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control to purchase and equip a new mobile field command post to assist in their meth clean-up operations.

If you smell a strange unexplained odor in your neighborhood, it is important that you call the police immediately. Store owners should keep an eye out for anyone buying unusual amounts of cold medicine, drain cleaner, batteries, or coffee filters. These are some of the ingredients that alone are harmless, but used together in the right way can create meth. If you think a meth user is in your neighborhood, call the police, do not try to approach them yourself. Meth can have frightening effects on a user's mind, making them paranoid, aggressive, and even violent.

We've got a long way to go to stemming the tide of meth use in our state, but I'm committed to doing everything I can to help Oklahoma law enforcement get the resources they need to shut down this epidemic. We must help the men and women on the front lines of this war in any way we can.