I am pleased to join Senator Graham, along with Senators Lieberman, Landrieu, Durbin, and Clinton, in cosponsoring The Ecstasy and Club Drug Prevention Act of 2001.
This is a logical extension of my work last year with Senator Graham on the Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000, which included the U.S. Sentencing Commission direction to review, and ultimately decide to, lengthen the federal minimum sentence guidelines for Ecstasy smuggling offenses. In addition, as co-chairman of the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, we have held detailed hearings, both this year and last year, on this very disturbing and damaging illegal drug. Although there has been some good news on overall reduced youth use of illegal drugs in the United States, data from the Monitoring the Future Survey clearly shows a "notable increase" in youth Ecstasy use.
I wish to congratulate Senator Graham, and the other cosponsors, on this Bill, and to join him in continuing our aggressive efforts to combat this dangerous drug that is so prevalent with our youth.