News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2002

DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson STOPS IN RALEIGH
AS NATIONAL METH TOUR CONTINUES

DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson will be in ----Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday, June 27, 2002, as part of his national "Meth in America: Not in Our Town" tour. The tour is aimed at increasing awareness about the devastating effects of methamphetamine. During the tour, Mr. Hutchinson will stop in over 30 states to talk about how vital community involvement is to reducing the nation's rate of meth addiction and production.

While in Raleigh, Administrator Hutchinson will be holding a news conference with US Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Robert J. Conrad, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, and Director for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Robin P. Pendergraft. The news conference will take place in Salon E at the North Raleigh Hilton Hotel (3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh,) at 3p.m.

At 1:30p.m., Administrator Hutchinson will address 8^th grade students at Durant Road Middle School, 10104 Durant Road, Raleigh, NC, to discuss anti-drug ideas.

Methamphetamine use can be found throughout the United States. It is not just a problem in big cities. Last year, in conjunction with DEA, North Carolina state and local law enforcement agencies seized 33 lab sites, a more than 100% increase over the year 2000.

If you have questions or need further information, please contact Special Agent Will Glaspy, DEA Public Affairs, at 202.307.7977.