The Senate renewed the Patriot Act last week, sparking discussion and debate about balancing civil liberties and national security. But the same bill that renewed the Patriot Act contained something that has garnered less media attention than those involving wiretapping or warrants: the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act, a provision mandating that medicines containing pseudoephedrine - from which meth is made - be stored behind drugstore counters and limiting the amount of pseudoephedrine-containing medications individuals can purchase each month. The act also gives the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency the power to seize the sales records of foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers. In this installment of "By the Numbers," the Daily explores that provision, as well as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) review that was released only hours prior to the provision's being passed.
1970 Year in which meth possession was made illegal (under the U.S. Drug Abuse and Regulation Control Act)
4x Amount by which "the number of meth users admitted to substance abuse clinics" rose between 1993 and 2003 28,000 Nationwide admissions for "treatment of methamphetamine or amphetamine abuse" in 1993136,000 Nationwide admissions in 2003
56 per 100,000 people National admission rate for meth treatment18 States with rates higher than the national one (Oregon had the highest; then Hawaii, Iowa, California, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Montana, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Minnesota, South Dakota, Colorado, Missouri, Idaho and Kansas)5 or less per 100,000 people Rates for all states in the Northeast, including Massachusetts
$25 million Amount of money President Bush allotted to meth treatment in his February budget request$100 million Amount of money the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act gives law enforcement agencies to use towards "investigating and locking up meth offenders"120 Cold pills people are allowed to purchase in one day under the Act300 Cold pills they're allowed to purchase in one month under the Act
55% Meth treatment patients who were male in 200383% Meth treatment patients who were white in 199373% Meth treatment patients who were white in 20039% Meth treatment patients who were Hispanic in 199316% Meth treatment patients who were Hispanic in 2003
The information cited above comes from SAMHSA and the Associated Press.
