COUNT SHOWS METH IS DESTROYING FAMILIES

CHATTANOOGA - Methamphetamine is shattering dozens of Tennessee families
each month, a new count of children placed in state custody shows, and case
workers are seeing an increase in addicted babies.

The count requested by The Associated Press - 600 children taken from
parents involved with the addictive stimulant and placed in state custody
since the start of 2002 - does not include meth-displaced children who are
placed with relatives.

The Tennessee Department of Children's Services, in an incomplete count,
reported placing 112 rural children in foster care due to meth
investigations since March 1. A count provided to the AP in late February
showed 488 children taken into state custody since Jan. 1, 2002, also
mostly in rural communities.

The new count included 53 children in the department's Southeast region, 46
in the Upper Cumberland and 13 in the Northeast region. DCS spokeswoman
Carla Aaron said totals of meth-related custody removals in other DCS
regions were not immediately available.

Aaron said that when children are removed from parents in meth cases, DCS
is taking all possible steps to place them with other relatives.

Diane Easterly, team leader for the department's Southeast region, said she
just returned from a foster parent conference and reports of "finding more
and more babies addicted."

Easterly said such newborns should be monitored and counseled as they grow
up to help them avoid addiction.