Washington, DC – A new report today by the Drug Enforcement Administration released today indicated that law enforcement officials were making gains in the fight against methamphetamines. Following is a statement by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.):

“The report released today indicates that our nation is on the right track in the fight against methamphetamines.

There were steep drops across the board last year – from 17,562 labs seized in 2004 to 12,185 meth labs seized. And drops were greatest in States that had implemented tough laws. Oklahoma, for instance, saw a 68 percent reduction in meth labs seized and Oregon saw a 60 percent drop.

This is not a coincidence.

The key to fighting the meth epidemic is keeping pseudoephedrine out of the hands of meth cooks. That’s what they did in Oklahoma and Oregon, and that’s what I have tried to do with the Combat Meth Act, which was approved earlier this year.

The Combat Meth Act puts psuedoephedrine behind the counter across the country. And it limits the amount of meth that can be purchased on a given day and over a given month.

This won’t make the meth crisis disappear, but it will put an end to the mom and pop meth cooks. I will watch carefully to make sure that the Combat Meth Act is implemented and funded, and we will be looking for new ways to stem the flow of meth from Mexico and continue to give law enforcement the tools they need to do their job."

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