Narcotics

Arizona lawmaker calls drug trafficking organizations a threat to the United States

October 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today called for an increased federal focus on strengthening security along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Speaking at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, the Arizona lawmaker noted that the U.S. Department of Justice considers Mexican drug traffickers the “greatest organized crime threat” to the United States.

“I remain very concerned about stemming the flow of fugitives, drugs and guns across our southern border,” Giffords told committee members.    » read more »

June 23, 2009 -- Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today introduced legislation to reauthorize funding for the Public and Indian Housing Crime and Drug Elimination Program (PIHDEP). The bill will help fund public and Indian housing entities to battle crime and drug use in partnership with their local law enforcement.

“This effective program eliminated by the previous Administration left public and Indian housing without important resources,” said Johnson. “This bill would allow local communities to develop programs to better fight drug use and drug-related crime. I’m proud to introduce this bill and will continue to fight to provide critical funding for public and Indian housing in South Dakota and across the country.”    » read more »

Legislation Keeps Families Intact As Parents Enter Substance Abuse Treatment

June 22, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Senator Jay Rockefeller today introduced the Keeping Families Safe Act – which allows families to stay together in residential family treatment programs when one parent or both enter substance abuse treatment.

“The statistics are clear – parents are more likely to heal and families have a better chance of remaining intact when they stay together throughout the treatment process,” said Senator Rockefeller. “Keeping families together in a safe environment is immensely important, and it is essential that we maintain successful residential family treatment programs across the nation.”

Background    » read more »

June 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a senior member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, praised an agreement signed today that would give more counternarcotics authority to immigration agents to help reduce illegal drugs entering American communities.

In response to the signing of this Interagency Cooperation Agreement that increases cooperation and information sharing between the Department of Health And Human Services’ Immigration Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and the Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Sen. Carper said:    » read more »

Bayh Measure to Thwart Production of Methamphetamine Passes Senate; Measure will help keep ingredients out of the hands of illicit drug manufacturers

June 10, 2009 -- Washington -- Tough new anti-drug legislation championed by Senator Evan Bayh to reduce methamphetamine production and abuse passed the United States Senate yesterday. The Combat Methamphetamine Enhancement Act of 2009 strengthens enforcement laws to reduce the production and distribution of this dangerous drug.    » read more »

Bill would enforce retail compliance with the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act

June 9, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate has approved legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that would require retailers of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine products to verify that they have trained their staff in the requirements of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act that went into effect in 2006.

The next step in the fight against methamphetamine is to pass the Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act – a bill pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Grassley is a co-sponsor of the legislation.    » read more »

Schumer Announces Senate Passage Of Legislation To Combat Methamphetamine Production; Bill Will Tighten 2006 Law Which Required Sellers of Drug to Be Trained and Certified

June 9, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the United State Senate has passed the Combat Methamphetamine Enhancement Act of 2009, a bill that he backed to enhance the ability of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to crack down on methamphetamine production.    » read more »

Bill would enforce retail compliance with the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act

June 9, 2009 --
Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate has approved legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that would require retailers of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine products to verify that they have trained their staff in the requirements of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act that went into effect in 2006.

The next step in the fight against methamphetamine is to pass the Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act – a bill pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Grassley is a co-sponsor of the legislation.    » read more »

June 8, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley today continued his efforts to keep meth off the streets and out of the homes of Iowans. Legislation he co-sponsored with Senator Dianne Feinstein to help control meth precursor chemicals, passed the Senate tonight by unanimous consent. It will now be sent to the House for consideration.

“Iowa has been hit harder than most states by the meth epidemic. Passage of the Combat Meth Act in 2006 provided us with a good deal of success in reducing the domestic meth supply, but it’s tough to stay a step ahead. So, we’re looking to do more to get this dangerous drug out of the hands of people across the country,” Grassley said.    » read more »

June 5, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Department of Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano, and Director of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske released President Obama’s strategy to stem the flow of illegal drugs and their illicit proceeds across the Southwest border and reduce associated crime and violence in the region.    » read more »

June 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today applauded the Obama Administration’s unveiling of an extensive strategy to combat drug smuggling, arms trading, and currency trafficking along the U.S.-Mexican border.    » read more »

CORAL GABLES, FL, May 29, 2009 Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPRX) today announced top-line results from its U.S. Phase II clinical trial to treat cocaine addiction. The data from the trial showed that CPP-109 did not demonstrate statistical significance in the primary endpoint -- that a significantly larger proportion of CPP-109-treated subjects than placebo-treated subjects were cocaine-free during the last two weeks of the treatment period (Weeks 11 and 12). The clinical trial did not reveal any unexpected "serious" adverse events.    » read more »

Impaired ability to monitor behavior, emotions may underlie vulnerability to drugs; suggests new targets for treatment

May 25, 2009 -- UPTON, NY — Parts of the brain involved in monitoring behaviors and emotions show different levels of activity in cocaine users relative to non-drug users, even when both groups perform equally well on a psychological test. These results — from a brain-imaging study conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and published online the week of May 25, 2009, by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — suggest that such impairments may underlie addictive vulnerability, and that treatments aimed at improving these functions could help addicted individuals resist drugs.    » read more »

April 28, 2009 -- The United States should forge a strategic partnership with Mexico that emphasizes reform and long-term institution building as a way to battle the ongoing drug war and other security challenges that face Mexico, according to a new RAND Corporation report.

While much attention has focused on addressing Mexico's recent drug violence, the new RAND report goes beyond the narcotics-violence link and examines a broader set of issues that confront Mexico's security and the security interests of the United States.    » read more »

April 15, 2009 -- The Administration has released the names of three Mexican organizations against which the President has decided to impose sanctions pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (the "Kingpin Act") (21 U.S.C. 1901-1908, 8 U.S.C. 1182). Kingpin Act targets, on a worldwide basis, significant foreign narcotics traffickers, their organizations, and operatives.

Background    » read more »