WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley today called on Congress to respond to alarming reports of drug dealers marketing dangerous illegal drugs to kids at an increasingly younger age.
“Young people are the most at-risk population for drug abuse, so it’s disturbing to see highly addictive drugs like meth, heroin, prescription pain killers, antidepressants, and steroids marketed and distributed in new ways to get a greater number of school-age children addicted,” Grassley said in a speech before the United States Senate. “We need to stop those growing trends. Research shows that if you can keep a child drug-free until they turn 20, chances are very slim that they will ever try or become addicted.”
Grassley is a leading sponsor of legislation to double the federal criminal penalties for drug dealers who flavor or disguise illegal drugs to make them more appealing to people under age 21. The bill he introduced this year with Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California – the Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act – would triple those penalties for repeat offenders. The senators also have sponsored legislation to reauthorize a $20 million grant program that helps treat children who live in a home where methamphetamine was manufactured or distributed.
In addition to federal legislation, Grassley emphasized the value and importance of communities organizing to combat drug abuse and quickly respond to new illegal drug trends. He said that a new mixture of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM – known as “cheese” – has claimed the lives of 23 teenagers in Dallas . The drug resembles actual cheese and can be bought for as little as $2 a hit. Grassley said that even though it’s only turned up in the Dallas area, “don’t think for one minute it will stay there. Cheese heroin is cheap and being marketed solely to children.”
In Iowa, Grassley founded a community-based anti-drug coalition called “Face It Together” to support efforts by parents, educators, businesses, religious leaders, law enforcement officials, health care providers, youth groups and news organizations to combat illegal drugs.
Following is the text of Grassley’s prepared statement.
Floor Statement of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Co-Chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control
Protecting Our Kids from Drugs
Friday, August 3, 2007
Mr. President, I come to the floor today to express my deep concern over the developing trends of drug abuse among our kids. As Co-chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, I’m often confronted with reports about the latest drug trends, but recently I’ve become more alarmed with what these reports contain. Drug dealers are beginning to market their deadly substances to an increasingly younger crowd so they can get them hooked at an earlier age. Young people are the most at-risk population for drug abuse, which is why it is disturbing to see highly addictive drugs like meth, heroin, prescription pain killers, anti-depressants, and steroids marketed and distributed in new ways to get a greater number of school-age children addicted. I want Congress and the American people to know just what is going on with our kids and what we need to do to stop these growing trends.
Candy flavored meth is one of the latest gimmicks drug dealers use to lure our kids into addiction. Flavors like Strawberry, know as “Strawberry Quick”, and chocolate are clearly being used to make meth seem less harmful and more appealing. This type of meth is also being marketed in smaller amounts, making it cheaper and more accessible to children. At least 8 states have reported cases of candy flavored meth, and many law enforcement officials are expecting “strawberry quick” to infiltrate their states in the near future. What is even more disturbing is that kids may not realize that they are using a deadly substance. According to my colleague, Senator Feinstein, some kids reported that they thought “strawberry quick” was just an energy drink and were misled by drug dealers into trying meth for the first time.
Meth abuse has reached epidemic proportions, and the fact that drug dealers are trying to get children addicted at such a young age underscores the importance of taking quick action to eliminate this danger. That is why I joined my colleague, Senator Feinstein, in introducing the Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act. This legislation will double the federal criminal penalties for drug dealers who flavor or disguise illegal drugs to make them more appealing to people under 21, and it will triple the penalty for repeat offenders. I hope my colleagues will join me in passing this legislation soon because we have to end the practice of purposely altering illegal drugs to make them more appealing to young people.
The ongoing revelations of wide-spread steroid abuse in professional sports along with the recent suicide of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) super-star Chris Benoit highlight a disturbing trend in the sports and entertainment world, and it has a lasting impact on our kids. It is alleged that Benoit killed his wife and 7 year old son in what is commonly called a “roid rage”, which is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain brought on by steroid abuse. If this is proven true, it will be yet another tragic tale of the destructive nature of steroids. What is even more tragic is the fact that steroid abuse among high schoolers has been rising. The 2006 Monitoring the Future Survey, a study done annually to monitor drug use among middle and senior high school students, shows the percentage of 12th graders who’ve admitted trying steroids has increased. Kids look up to these athletes and performers as role models, and when they see their heroes using these terrible substances, they get the impression that it’s okay to use steroids.
Steroids are also being marketed to kids. Students who participate in sports are facing enormous pressure to perform at high levels, and we are seeing more and more teens turn to steroids to gain an athletic edge. You can find websites encouraging teens to buy a substance called DHEA, which has been declared a steroid by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, as the new way to bulk up. The major sports leagues, with the exception of Major League Baseball, have banned DHEA even though it remains legal in this country. Though DHEA is used as a legitimate supplement for thousands of people, teens are using it as an alternative to illegal steroids. I introduced a bill earlier this year that would reinstate the ban that was imposed on DHEA in the 1980's, but I think we can find a way to keep minors from obtaining this substance while allowing adults to use DHEA legitimately. GNC, the world’s leading dietary supplement provider, has a policy to not sell DHEA to anyone under 18 and for good reason. We need to pass legislation that will at least do the same.
We should also take note of one of the fastest emerging drug trends among kids today- the abuse of prescription drugs. Most people don’t even realize that their medicine cabinets can contain drugs just as powerful and addictive as meth and heroin. Because they are prescribed by a doctor and millions of people use them, kids think anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax or pain killers like Vicodin and OxyContin are harmless. Several examples of abuse occur everyday when kids come home from school and take a pill to relax. But eventually one pill is not enough to make them feel good. Soon these kids take more pills and try different mixtures until they can obtain a sufficient high, often with deadly results.
What is so troubling about this is a significant number of teens are experimenting with prescription drugs. According to a 2005 study conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, one in five teens have admitted to using pain killers to get high, and the numbers are getting worse. The 2006 Monitoring the Future Survey shows that abuse of prescription drugs has doubled since 2002. Access to these drugs is wide-spread. Not only can teens obtain these drugs from home or in school, they can also get them online or through “pharm parties.” Law enforcement officials have increasingly broken up “pharm parties”, where teens grab prescription drugs from home and pass them around to friends. These drugs are often pooled in a large bowl and kids take a pill or two, but they have no idea what they are taking. There are hundreds of internet video clips, where teens appear strung out on pills and alcohol as a result of these parties. We need to do a better job as parents and legislators to educate and prevent this fast-growing trend from reaching epidemic proportions. We have to educate the public about the proper ways to dispose old medicine, and we need to help law enforcement deal with the large amount of illegal purchases on online pharmacies.
Another sad trend is taking hold in DallasTexas , where earlier this summer, a 17-year-old high school student became the 23rd victim of a drug called “cheese.” “Cheese heroin” is a mixture of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM that is usually smoked or snorted and often very deadly. Because it resembles actual cheese and can be purchased for as little as $2 a hit, more kids in the Dallas area have been trying the new drug with terrible results. Though “cheese heroin” has only been seen in the Dallas area, don’t think for one second that it will stay there. “Cheese heroin” is cheap and being marketed solely to children. Law enforcement officials will be the first to tell you that new drugs tend to emerge in the larger cities and then move out to the suburbs. We should all be concerned about a drug trend in Dallas , because the sooner we can stem it, the better we can prevent it from spreading across the country.
The good news is that the people in the Dallas community are not taking this new drug lightly. School officials and police have been holding assemblies, lectures, PTA meetings and classroom discussions to get the word out about “cheese heroin.” A public service announcement made by local students is currently airing throughout the area, and a hotline number has been taking a large number of calls for those seeking assistance to keep their loved one from succumbing to “cheese.” Hopefully, their efforts will stop “cheese” in its tracks.
The Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse established a task force that is responsible for this effort. The key to this task force’s success is that it incorporates all sectors of the Dallas Community. Engaging and involving all sectors of our local communities is one of the best solutions to keeping our children from abusing drugs. That is why I formed the Face It Together (FIT) Coalition in an effort to combat drug use in my state of Iowa . My goal with FIT is to bring to the same table parents, educators, businesses, religious leaders, law enforcement officials, health care providers, youth groups, and members of the media to promote new ways of thinking about how to reach and educate Iowans about the dangers of drug abuse. With everyone working together, we will make a difference in our communities. Moreover, together we can build healthy children, healthy families, healthy communities, and a healthy future for society at large.
I believe that we have a moral obligation to ensure that our young people have a chance to grow up without being accosted by drug dealers at every turn. We need, as a country, to create a strong moral context to help our kids know how to make the right choices. Research has shown time and again that if you can keep a child drug-free until they turn 20, chances are very slim that they will ever try or become addicted. This is the task that we face. We owe it to ourselves and the future of this country to protect our kids from drugs.