Political Quotes

“methamphetamine is, if not the most dangerous drug in America today, one of the fastest spreading. In Western States, meth is already the crack epidemic of the 1990's. Meth is cheap, easy to manufacture, and readily available. The drug is a synthetic compound that stimulates the central nervous system and causes psychosis, paranoid delusions, and acts of violence. The drug is most prevalent in four Western cities--Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. The damage the drug has caused in Arizona is startling. Phoenix police attribute meth use as a factor in the 40 percent jump in homicides in 1994. Meth-related deaths in Phoenix have soared from 11 in 1991 to 122 in 1994. According to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, 1 in 17 Arizona high school students reported using meth in the last 30 days. The drug is also behind the headlines of several horrific crimes that have occurred in the State. Arizona has taken action, and a methamphetamine bill offered by State Representative Paul Mortenson, passed the legislature in Phoenix and was signed into law by Governor Symington this April. The bill increases the penalties for those who produce and sell the drug, and criminalizes the possession of equipment or chemicals used in the manufacture of dangerous drugs. Appropriately, the U.S. Senate, in a bipartisan fashion, is addressing the methamphetamine explosion. I would particularly like to point out the fine work of Senator Feinstein on this issue.”