Meth's Horror Hits Home

Bredesen's Methamphetamine Abuse Task Force Comes To
Jackson

Trying to commit suicide, he shot himself in the face and broke every
bone except for his left eye socket. David Parnell, a self-proclaimed
meth addict, survived and is now telling his story.

Parnell, from Weakley County, shared his experiences at a meeting of
Gov. Phil Bredesen's Task Force on Methamphetamine Abuse, held Monday
at the University of Tennessee's West Tennessee Agricultural
Experiment Station in Jackson. The group consists of 20
representatives from a range of fields including law enforcement,
health care, education and human services.

"The physical pain isn't that bad; I can heal and get over it,"
Parnell told the crowd of approximately 40 people. "It's the
emotional pain that this drug has caused that will likely stay with me
for the rest of my life."

The task force's recommendations are due to the governor by Sept. 1.
Monday's meeting focused on treatment and recovery efforts. It was the
second public meth task force meeting, said Beth Denton, spokeswoman
for the Tennessee Department of Safety.

Parnell, who also has been addicted to marijuana, crack cocaine and
prescription pills, hasn't done any drugs since his attempted suicide
more than a year ago. But since he still has cravings, Parnell still
considers himself addicted to meth.

Lt. Barry Michael, the unit commander for the Jackson/Madison County
Metro Narcotics Unit, hopes that the task force will implement
stricter laws for cookers of methamphetamine and help determine an
effective treatment option.

Michael, who has worked in law enforcement for 22 years, has never
seen the use of a specific drug rise like meth has. The Jackson area
had 11 total manufacturing cases in 2000, and that number has risen to
around 50 cases for 2003.

"It scares me to think how many people five years down the road we
will be dealing with because of this drug," Michael said.

People from the surrounding 18 to 20 counties come to Jackson to buy
the inexpensive supplies used in manufacturing methamphetamines,
Michael said. More lenient laws and the availability of supplies in
Tennessee also draw people from surrounding states, Michael said.

Employees from Wal-Mart, Walgreens and other area stores frequently
alert the unit of suspicious customers who appear to be buying large
quantities of the ingredients used to make meth, he added.

Haywood County Sheriff Melvin Bond is most concerned with the safety
of children and families of addicts, the issue discussed at the
group's first public meeting. He also believes Tennessee laws for meth
offenders should be stricter.

Current law makes those convicted of producing or distributing a
half-gram of meth guilty of a Class C felony, with a penalty of three
to 15 years in jail. Under new legislation, punishment would be
upgraded to a Class B felony with a jail sentence of eight to 30 years.

"(We need to) find ways to punish them so it can be a deterrence to
them so they don't become repeat offenders," said Bond, who is a
member of the task force. "We don't need that."

Niki Payne, the executive director of the Serenity House in the
Cookeville area, attended Monday's meeting. She plans on attending
future task force meetings to provide input to the group.

The Serenity House, which is run like a safe house, has a 3-1 ratio of
meth addicts to other patients, Payne said. Long-term treatment, jail
time and faith-based programs are necessities to stopping the spread
of meth use, she said.

"Awareness is paramount to show them (addicts) that there is hope,"
said Payne, who is a former meth addict herself. "We can't give up on
people."

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FACTS ABOUT METHAMPHETAMINE

Meth is a powerfully addictive stimulant that affects the central
nervous system.

It is produced in clandestine laboratories across Tennessee with
relatively inexpensive over-the-counter ingredients.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that Tennessee now
accounts for 75 percent of meth lab seizures in the Southeast.

In 2003, more than 1,800 meth labs were found in Tennessee
alone.

The Jackson area had 11 total manufacturing cases in 2000, and that
number has risen to about 50 cases for 2003.

Sources - The Tennessee Department of Safety, Jackson/Madison County
Metro Narcotics Unit