World's Largest Producing Nations of Meth and Precursor Chemical Producers Come to America's Heartland

St. Louis, Missouri

Wednesday, May 7

WASHINGTON, May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and John Walters, the U.S. Drug Czar, will host high-ranking officials from the world's largest producing and some of the principal consuming nations of methamphetamine and meth precursor chemicals inSt. Louis, Missouri on Wednesday, May 7. For the first time, leaders fromMexico,Canada,China,India, andGermany will join federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals from throughoutthe United States to participate in the National Methamphetamine Chemicals Initiative (NMCI) conference, an initiative of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Significant progress has been made against domestic methamphetamine production, trafficking and use over the last several years. Recent changes in the price and purity of meth indicate significant disruptions in the market for the drug. From January to December of 2007, the price per pure gram of meth increased 84 percent, from $152.39 to $280.06, while purity during the same time period decreased 26 percent. Results from workplace drug screenings conducted in 2007 show a more than 50 percent decline in the number of people testing positive for methamphetamine over the past two years.

But major challenges remain, particularly in the international arena. Many nations lack significant controls to prevent chemical diversion and have yet to comply with their international obligations, although progress has been made in some others.Mexico, for example, has banned all imports of methamphetamine precursors. Attorney General Mukasey and the representatives fromMexico,China,Canada andGermany will sign a Joint Statement on Countering the Diversion of Precursor Chemicals, Synthetic Drugs, and Controlled Pharmaceuticals, calling on all nations to take needed steps to combat this problem and to intensify international cooperation against methamphetamine.

WHO: ATTORNEY GENERAL Michael B. Mukasey

U.S. DRUG CZAR John Walters

MEXICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL Eduardo Medina Mora

Liu Yuejin, Deputy Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau ofChina

Canadian representative, TBD

WHAT: Press conference and joint statement against methamphetamine

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2008

9:40 A.M. CDT

WHERE: Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront

315 Chestnut Street,St. Louis, Mo.

Promenade B

NOTE: ALL media MUST PRESENT GOVERNMENT-ISSUED PHOTO ID (such as driver's license) as well as VALID MEDIA CREDENTIALS. Cameras must be pre-set by 9:00 A.M. Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Jennifer de Vallance (ONDCP) at 202-368-8422 or Melissa Middlesworth (DOJ) at 202-532-5761.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

Copyright © 2008, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze, Daily News

Tags: ,FOR,POL,EXE,MAV,DOJ-MethPreventn-Conf

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