A HEADS-UP ABOUT METH

State officials continue to show a healthy degree of attention to
methamphetamine, which has become a menacing threat across the state and
nation. The latest example of the state's commitment to addressing meth is a
Web site, www.methfreetn.org. Gov. Phil Bredesen points to the site as a
central location to exchange information on the issue, and it does appear to
be a comprehensive site. Citizens can learn the basics about the drug's
danger, follow news developments from across the state and the nation, stay
informed about conferences on the issue and track legislation.
Methamphetamine is one issue where government officials may be ahead of the
general public in terms of understanding the urgency.

While the government Web site shines a light on the issue, many law
enforcement officers, safety officials and prosecutors across the state have
been working together for years to draw attention to the issue.

The compelling threat of methamphetamine is its combination of danger and
easy access.

The drug can be made in homes from common household materials, yet its
devastation compares to some of the worst illegal drugs.

The most heart-wrenching aspect of the highly addictive substance is that
its remnants in a household can be toxic to children.

The state has had to take hundreds of children into custody because of their
exposure to meth in their homes. Meth can destroy the lives of its users.

Its makeshift labs are susceptible to explosions. From October 2003 to
August 2004, 1,200 meth labs were seized in Tennessee. Its dangers are so
severe, it takes special cleanup strategies to deal with the labs.

A link to the Web site on meth can be found prominently on the home page of
the state Web site, www.tennessee.gov. The governor says the meth site is
the first step in a broad public service campaign, which is good, because
the problems associated with this deadly substance can't be said enough.