Dear Senators Feinstein and Grassley,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our
support for S. 4491, a bill to designate methamphetamine as an “emerging drug threat” as
defined in section 702 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of
1998.
In recent years methamphetamine use has been increasing across the county. The potency, purity,
and availability have increased while the street-level prices have declined. As a result, the
number of drug overdose deaths related to methamphetamine increased by 27 percent between
2018 and 2019. During the coronavirus pandemic, law enforcement agencies have seen an
increase in the amount of data entered into national databases on methamphetamine overdoses. It
is clear that methamphetamine is a public health emergency.
Methamphetamine is also a public safety emergency as it is the drug that is most often associated
with violent crime. There are reports that Mexican cartels are amassing illicit drugs, including
methamphetamine, in an effort to flood U.S. cities with these drugs once pandemic restrictions
are lifted. We must start to act now in order to prevent an increase in methamphetamine
substance abuse and overdose deaths.
This legislation would declare methamphetamine as an “emerging drug threat” which would then
require the Office of National Drug Control Policy to create an Emerging Threat Response Plan.
The plan would include information about the availability and demand of methamphetamine,
treatment and prevention programs, including resources for law enforcement. This plan would
need to be implemented within 90 days, making it a timely and effective response to this public
safety threat.
On behalf of the more than 355,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I am proud to
offer our support for this legislation. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to
contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in my Washington office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President