Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Bud Cramer (Ala.-05) is joining officials from the Department of Justice to declare November 30, 2006, as National Methamphetamine Awareness Day.  According to statistics from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Methamphetamines are the biggest drug threat in the State of Alabama.  In 2005, the State had 276 meth lab incidents, down from 404 incidents in 2004.

"Methamphetamines are a serious threat in our communities," said Cramer.  "As a former District Attorney, I saw first-hand the destructive force this drug can do to individuals and their families.  The National Meth Awareness Day will continue to bring much needed attention to the fight against this highly addictive drug.

"I would like to commend the law enforcement community in Alabama for their work fighting the meth epidemic.  As a state, we have aggressively attacked methamphetamine use and as a result we have seen a decline in meth lab incidents."

Representative Cramer has been on the forefront in the fight against methamphetamine abuse since arriving in Congress in 1991.  He is a member of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, a bipartisan group with over 100 members who work together to raise national awareness of the problems and dangers associated with the abuse and production of meth.  Cramer is also a cosponsor of numerous pieces of legislation that would provide additional resources and support to enforcement officials across the country.

As a member of the Science, State, Justice, and Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee, Cramer continues to lead congressional efforts to fund programs, such as the COPS Program and the Byrne Grant Program, that provide assistance to law enforcement to combat meth.  He has also secured millions of dollars in funding to help Alabama law enforcement agencies curb meth usage.

Representative Cramer has hosted a number of methamphetamine forums across North Alabama with local law enforcement officers, district attorneys, Alabama Department of Human Resources officials, and other community leaders.  In addition, he has also brought together law enforcement officials from North Alabama to learn more about the federal resources and grant opportunities available to them to fight meth.  Cramer also hosted a forum to help raise awareness about the Meth problem with hotel and motel industry professionals.

For more information on National Meth Awareness Day, click here.

For more information on methamphetamines, click here.