Congressman Steve Pearce

PEARCE ANNOUNCES GRANT AWARDS TO COMBAT METH

AUGUST 13, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: BRIAN PHILLIPS
202.225.4759, brian.phillips@mail.house.gov

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman Steve Pearce announced two grant awards that will be used for combating methamphetamines in the Second District. Rep. Pearce has secured $100,000 for both The Carlsbad Anti-Drug/Gang Coalition and the Lea County Anti-Drug Coalition to maintain drug prevention outreach and education in their communities.

“Meth is scourge that is rapidly infecting our neighborhoods and around the country,” said Rep. Pearce. “The problem is particularly dangerous in our area and this funding will help us continue to fight for the future of our young people.”

To date, Pearce has secured well over $1,000,000 in federal funding for meth prevention, education, and treatment efforts. Coming from the Drug Free Communities Support Program, the grants represent the maximum amount given out by the program to any one location.

The awards are just the latest successes in Mr. Pearce’s long struggle to bring attention to the problems associated with methamphetamine use in New Mexico. Last year, he sponsored legislation that would create a national registry for convicted felony drug dealers - similar to the registry for sex offenders – known as the CLEAN TOWN Act (H.R. 6155). Pearce recently sponsored the Methamphetamine Rehabilitation and Treatments Best practices Act that provides additional resources for the Department of Health and Human services and the National Institutes of Health to study the best way to treat addicts.

“This drug is knocking the heads out of our kids,” Pearce said bluntly. “I have held dozens and dozens of town hall meetings to try and let New Mexicans know the devastating consequences of methamphetamines. It is truly a plague in our communities.”

In addition, Pearce has cosponsored legislation that would stiffen penalties for dealing drugs to minors, increase security at our ports, and empower local law enforcement to go after meth “kingpins”.

“We must get control of our streets or they will control us,” Pearce added. “We can tackle it one program at a time or one person at a time, but if we don’t address it now - and succeed – we put our future in jeopardy.”

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