Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Brian Baird will have some local support on the Hill tomorrow for a hearing on the dangers of methamphetamine in our communities.  Baird will be joined by Vancouver Police Chief Brian Martinek and Clark County Sheriff Garry Lucas who will share Clark County’s struggle with methamphetamine before the House Committee on Government reform.  The hearing, “Facing the Methamphetamine Problem in America,” will feature testimony from local law enforcement officials and physicians charged with treating meth addicts as well as Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officials. 

“Having Chief Martinek and Sheriff Lewis testify brings the struggle of local law enforcement to the attention of Congress,” said Rep. Baird. “Without increased federal assistance, our law enforcement officers, fire fighters and paramedics will not have the resources necessary to rid our communities of this menace.”

“Meth is a far-reaching problem that affects every area of our society,”said Chief Martinek.  “Combating this plague reduces resources to our entire justice and social services system.  Federal support will provide opportunities for a multi-disciplinary approach to cleaning up meth problems in our communities.”

“Meth is pernicious and devastating to our community, affecting our schools, families, businesses and environment,” said Sheriff Lucas.  “Every map I look at shows meth making its way across the country.  I hope my testimony will raise awareness among our elected officials and illustrate how necessary funding for enforcement, treatment, education and prevention is.”

Baird, a former clinical psychologist who treated meth addicts, will introduce Chief Martinek and Sheriff Lewis to the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug policy and Human Resources for their testimony.  Martinek and Lucas will focus on their experience combating meth at the local level and illustrate how the federal government can assist law enforcement officials to ensure they have the resources necessary to combat this dangerous drug. 

Since his election, Rep. Baird has been a leader in Congress on the issue of methamphetamine abuse.  Baird co-founded the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine and has successfully secured $9 million for the Washington State Meth Initiative to fund treatment, education and prevention programs for meth addicts across the state.  Baird also succeeded in expanding the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 2003 to include Clark County.  As a result of this designation, Clark County now receives increased federal law enforcement assistance to combat meth.

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