Tom Harkin: “in February, Iowa was featured on the front page of the New York Times--but it wasn't the kind of publicity I want to…”

“in February, Iowa was featured on the front page of the New York Times--but it wasn't the kind of publicity I want to see our State receive. The article highlighted a problem that is exploding around Iowa--the growing use of the drug methamphetamine, commonly known as meth or crank. There's no doubt that meth has invaded our State with a fury. The statistics tell the tragic story. More than 35 percent of new incarcerations in Iowa involve meth. Federal methamphetamine investigations have doubled and meth arrests have more than tripled over the past 2 years. The Division of Iowa Narcotics Enforcement has reported a nearly 400-percent increase in meth seizures in a 1-year period. And in our largest city of Des Moines, meth seizures increased more than 4,000 percent. The number of labs producing meth has also increased dramatically. And many of the traffickers are illegal aliens from Mexico, presenting additional problems and burdens on law enforcement. This is especially challenging because Iowa currently has no Immigration and Naturalization Service office. Meth is now termed Iowa's ``drug of choice.'' And unfortunately, its spread has left no part of our State untouched. In a word, meth is poison. It destroys lives, families, and communities. The experts describe methamphetamine as a synthetic central nervous system stimulant--the strongest and most intense of the amphetamine group.”