The Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996, legislation introduced by Senator Feinstein, was signed into law by President Clinton in October of 1996 to curb the spread of the illicit drug methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine, also known as "crank" or "crystal," is a highly addictive and dangerous drug that affects the central nervous system. Abuse of the narcotic has reached epidemic proportions in California. While methamphetamine is a nationwide problem affecting rich and poor alike, its impact is disproportionately felt in California.

FACT: The DEA has identified California as a "source country" of methamphetamine, much like Colombia is for cocaine, with literally hundreds of illicit drug labs throughout the state.

FACT: Amphetamine abuse -- of which methamphetamine is a category -- has skyrocketed in several California counties by more than 1000 percent, according to the Public Statistics Institute.

The Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996 is an effort to curb the production and abuse of this dangerous drug. The legislation:

1. establishes new controls over key chemicals necessary to manufacture methamphetamine;
2. increases the criminal sentences for possession and distribution of these chemicals or possession of the specialized equipment used to make methamphetamine.

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