|
For Immediate
Release
6/26/06
CONTACT:
PA
Senate Republican Communications
(717) 787-6725
Senate Overwhelmingly Approves "Pennsylvania Combat Meth
Initiative"
HARRISBURG -- The
State Senate today approved a comprehensive, package of bills sponsored by
Senate Republicans that is aimed at stopping the growing use and production of
the deadly drug methamphetamine. The legislation now moves to the House of
Representatives for consideration.
The
"Pennsylvania Combat Meth Initiative" will make it more difficult to
obtain the ingredients necessary to make methamphetamine, add new
protections for children and clean up the environmental damage caused by
meth labs.
Among
the bill sponsors are Senator Bob Robbins (R-Mercer), Senator Roger
Madigan (R-Bradford), Senator Rob Wonderling (R-Montgomery), and Senator
John R. Gordner (R-Columbia).
The
Senators introduced the package earlier this spring to combat the
widespread production of meth, particularly in rural areas of the
state. Its popularity is on the rise because most of the ingredients
used to make it can be purchased in local stores. The drug is "cooked"
in home-made labs and is highly addictive and deadly.
"It
will take cooperation and education to turn the tide," Senator Robbins
said. "Just as the drug robs users of their health, the presence of
meth in a community robs the community of its health."
-
Add the definition of "precursor substance" to the Controlled
Substance Act. This would allow the Secretary of Health to add
additional chemicals to the current list of controlled substances by
regulation if they are found to be used in the production of drugs.
(Senate Bill 1115, Madigan)
-
Limit the sale of pseudoephedrine, a common ingredient in many
over-the-counter cold medicines. The bill, which must be amended to
make it consistent with federal law, also makes it an offense to
knowingly possess ephedrine with the intent to unlawfully
manufacture methamphetamine. (Senate Bill 1116, Wonderling)
-
Make it a criminal offense to operate a meth lab and impose
additional penalties for operating a lab near a school or day care
center. (Senate Bill 1117, Gordner)
-
Make it a specific violation of the Controlled Substance Act to
possess an ephedrine-related substance with the intent to
manufacture methamphetamine. (Senate Bill 1118, Gordner)
-
Allow the court to assess costs on a defendant convicted of an
offense involving a meth lab to assess environmental clean up costs
against the defendant. (Senate Bill 1119, Gordner)
-
Make it a misdemeanor for a parent or guardian to knowingly operate
a methamphetamine laboratory in the vicinity of a child. (Senate
Bill 1120, Robbins)
Senator Madigan said he got involved in the effort to crack down on meth
production after two Bradford County Sheriff deputies were gunned down
as they tried to serve a warrant on a meth user who was producing the
drug in his home.
"We
owe it to them, and the many victims of this drug, to redouble our
efforts to fight this deadly scourge," Madigan said.
"Many
of the ingredients used to make meth are now available at pharmacies and
grocery stores, so it is becoming more and more available for young
people," Wonderling said. "These bills are intended to stop the
production of meth and make it easier for law enforcement officials to
crack down on those who manufacture this deadly drug."
Gordner added that meth labs are highly dangerous and can often be
costly to clean up.
Meth
labs are environmental disasters just waiting to happen because
ingredients in meth production can cause explosions, chemical fires and
toxic releases," said Gordner. "We need the tools to shut down these
labs and make the criminals pay for the environmental clean-up costs."
Jubelirer
 Print this page
E-mail
this page
|
