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A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Feds to let states tap opioid funds for meth, cocaine surge

By RICARDO ALONSO- breaks out in an election
ZALDIVAR year. The nation has been
WASHINGTON (AP) — starting to see progress on
Alarmed by a deadly new opioids, with deaths declin-
twist in the nation's drug ing slightly.
addiction crisis, the govern- Last week the House Ener-
ment will allow states to use gy and Commerce Com-
federal money earmarked mittee sent letters to fed-
for the opioid epidemic eral agencies requesting
to help growing numbers detailed information on
of people struggling with evolving patterns of co-
meth and cocaine. caine and meth use.
The little-noticed change is "We are concerned that
buried in a massive spend- while the nation, rightly so,
ing bill passed by Congress is devoting so much of its
late last year. Pressed by attention and resources
constituents and state of- to the opioid epidemic,
ficials, lawmakers of both another epidemic — this
parties and the Trump one involving cocaine and
administration agreed to methamphetamine — is on
broaden the scope of a the rise," wrote committee
$1.5 billion grant program leaders Chairman Frank
previously restricted to the In this Aug. 29, 2019, file photo, members of the Coast Guard stand near seized cocaine in Los Pallone, D-N.J. and ranking
opioid crisis. Starting this Angeles. Republican Greg Walden
year states can also use Associated Press of Oregon.
those federal dollars to Meth, which was once
counter addiction to "stim- a drug class that includes year that the drug-addic- Trump administration was cooked in makeshift labs in
ulants," a term the govern- fentanyl, heroin, certain tion scourge is gradually also hearing calls for more the U.S., is now produced
ment uses for metham- prescription painkillers, and changing. flexibility from state offi- by Mexican cartels and
phetamine and cocaine. various chemical combina- "They were seeing much cials, and supported the smuggled across the bor-
"Meth and cocaine are tions concocted for street more impact from meth change. der. The price of the drug
making a comeback and sales. But the national num- and from cocaine, sub- "I know the term 'opioid has dropped even as its
they are more potent than bers also hide dramatic dif- stances they couldn't ad- crisis' is used a lot, and it's purity has risen.
they were during the last ferences in the deadliest dress because of specific not my preferred way of The increased prevalence
wave," said Mark Stringer, drugs across the land. language in the law," said describing what we're up of cocaine is being driven
director of Missouri's De- In most states west of the Shaheen, referring to previ- against," said Carroll. "I say by greater supply, as cul-
partment of Mental Health. Mississippi meth is the big- ous restrictions in the fed- what we really have is an tivation of the coca plant
He oversees the state's gest killer, according to eral grant program aimed addiction crisis." has become more wide-
efforts to prevent addic- government data for 2017. at opioids. Other senators pushing to spread in Colombia. Co-
tion, get drug-dependent Meanwhile, the highly le- As a member of the Sen- broaden the grant program caine can also be laced
people into treatment, and thal opioid fentanyl main- ate Appropriations Com- included Republicans Rob with fentanyl, contributing
support them in recovery. tains its grip on the East and mittee, which writes spend- Portman of Ohio and Shel- to overdose deaths. As with
"Where meth is much more Midwest. Cocaine ranks ing bills, Shaheen said she ley Moore Capito of West meth, government data
prevalent than opioids, this third overall nationally in worked with Republican Virginia, also a member of show the price of cocaine
will be a game-changer." drug-involved deaths. and Democratic leaders to the Appropriations Com- has dropped while its purity
About 68,000 people died Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D- add "stimulants" — not only mittee. Their states have has risen.
of drug overdoses in the N.H., whose state has been opioids — to the language been ravaged by opioids. Treating people addicted
U.S. in 2018, with opioids in- hard-hit by the opioid epi- of the 2020 spending bill. Federal lawmakers don't to meth or cocaine is dif-
volved in about two-thirds demic, said she was hear- White House drug czar want to be caught flat- ferent from treating opioid
of the cases. Opioids are ing from all quarters last James W. Carroll said the footed if another drug crisis dependence.q

Maryland GOP governor wants more visas for foreign workers

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — rural Maryland and in par- eral government allowed "This year, we are continu- age Maryland's sustain-
Maryland's Republican ticular our Eastern Shore," an additional 30,000 visas ing to urge the Administra- able seafood industry,
governor on Tuesday Hogan wrote. "In addition through the program, after tion to release additional causing these iconic fam-
urged federal officials to to lifting the cap, I ask that a 2018 decision to limit the visas quickly and will do ily and small businesses to
allow more H-2B visas for you partner with Congress number. everything in our power close or constrict, which
foreign workers to help the and Maryland's congres- U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, to support our local busi- would have a devastat-
state's $355 million seafood sional delegation to finally a Democrat, said Mary- nesses and industry," Van ing impact on commerce
industry and seasonal em- find a long-term solution to land's federal delegation Hollen said. and jobs, particularly in
ployers. this issue." has repeatedly pushed Hogan wrote that without economically disadvan-
Gov. Larry Hogan made In a typical year, 500 H-2B President Donald Trump's an end to the "arbitrary lot- taged areas of the state,"
the request in a letter to seasonal workers are administration to release tery system," local seafood Hogan wrote. Maryland's
Acting Homeland Security needed for Maryland's more H-2B visas. Van Hol- processors will be unable blue crab harvest season
Secretary Chad Wolf and 20 licensed crab picking len said he has visited crab to open for business or be starts on April 1. Hogan
Labor Secretary Eugene houses, the governor said. houses on Maryland's East- forced to "significantly re- invited Scalia and Wolf to
Scalia. Hogan also called The number of H-2B visas is ern Shore and seen first- duce their operations." personally visit a Chesa-
for a long-term solution. now capped at 66,000 na- hand "the dire need for "Another year of hardship peake Bay crab house or
"These workers are vital to tionally. Last year, the fed- these employees." could permanently dam- processor.q