Amata says U.S. House passes methamphetamine "ice" awareness bill
April 27, 2006

Aumua Amata reports that the U.S. House has passed a bill to establish a National Methamphetamine Prevention Week to increase awareness of meth and educate the public on effective ways to help prevent methamphetamine use at the international, Federal, State, and local levels.

According to Amata, methamphetamine is a highly addictive, man-made drug that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally, the effects of which include feelings of euphoria that last for up to 24 hours and psychotic behavior such as auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, delusions, and paranoia, potentially causing the user to experience homicidal or suicidal thoughts as well as violent behavior and brain damage; It is easily produced in clandestine laboratories, known as `meth labs', using a variety of volatile and toxic ingredients available in stores, and presents a danger to the individual preparing the methamphetamine, the community surrounding the laboratory, and the law enforcement personnel who discover the laboratory;

Studies have found that methamphetamine use is strongly linked to identity theft, domestic violence, overall crime rates, child abuse, and child neglect; its use and production is prevalent around the world including right here in American Samoa.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that more than 30,000,000 people around the world use amphetamine-type stimulants, a number that eclipses the combined global use of cocaine and heroin;

Aumua explained that the establishment of a National Methamphetamine Prevention Week would increase awareness of methamphetamine and educate the public on effective ways to help prevent methamphetamine use at the international, Federal, State, and local levels, and therefore, "I laud the House's passage of this important legislation," she concluded