Fred Heineman: “I introduced H.R. 3852, the Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996 because of the growing scourge of meth.…”

“I introduced H.R. 3852, the Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996 because of the growing scourge of meth. Senator Hatch introduced companion legislation, S. 1965, which passed the Senate earlier this month. Meth, commonly known as speed, is highly addictive and causes permanent brain damage in long-term users. Meth has become a public health crisis in California and the Southwest and is moving East. DEA records indicate a 57-percent increase in meth lab seizures from January to May of this year alone. In 1994, California experienced a 49-percent increase in meth-related emergency room admissions. In Phoenix, police link a 40-percent increase in homicides directly to the sudden rise in meth production. Meth produces a euphoric high, but also produces deep depression and violent rages. In one particularly gruesome incident, Eric Smith of Chandler, AZ, binged on meth for 24 hours and then beheaded his son and tossed his son's head from the window of his van onto a busy highway. Secret labs manufacture meth from chemicals with legitimate medical uses.”