DRUG USE FOCUS OF SEMINAR

About 200 area social workers took a close look at an unfamiliar world
Thursday when they came face-to-face with two of Tennessee's growing
problems: methamphetamine and the latest drug-induced youth culture called
"raves."

Cpl. Rebecca Agee, with the Tennessee National Guard's Counterdrug
Division, presented the three-hour training session at the West Tennessee
Agricultural Research Center off Airways Boulevard. The session was part of
an ongoing educational forum for members of the Tennessee Conference on
Social Welfare to help social workers better deal with "at risk" members of
the community.

Tracing its roots back to the 1960s LSD craze, rave parties have taken over
as the most popular form of escapism for young adults, Agee said. The drugs
of choice at raves are ecstasy, marijuana, LSD and ketamine, an animal
tranquilizer.

Agee displayed items in what she called her "rave party bag." Some members
gasped as Agee explained what everyday items produced from the bag were
actually used for. Cold medicine, used for a stimulant; lollipops, to
counteract "dry mouth," and bottled water, in which drugs were mixed and
stored.

"It's all kind of scary," said Amanda Scott, a patient advocate for West
Tennessee Legal Services. "The things that were in that rave pack are all
things that appear ordinary. That really worries me."

A presentation on making or "cooking" meth, and the telltale physical signs
of users also drew attention. A slide of a young girl, gaunt, with dark
circles around her eyes and scars on her arms from where she had picked at
imagined insects helped Agee make her point: that 53 percent of today's
meth users are under 15 years of age.

Middle Tennessee recently was identified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Agency as the largest stronghold of meth labs in the Southeast, and that
fact is drawing an even greater element of organized crime to the area.
Sections of West Tennessee are included in that geographical area, and
education about the growing problem will help social workers and others
identify and report the illegal activities to law enforcement, Agee said.

"We're seeing more 'bubba-type' meth labs," Agee said. "But the real
problem is that cocaine use is down, so organized crime is looking to move
in on these smaller operations. We're seeing an increase now, but it's not
a bubba-thing anymore."

Some stores are cutting back on customer purchases of items used in the
making meth. The Wal-Mart in Bemis Square Shopping Center limits the number
of boxes or bottles of cold medicine, such as Sudafed, which contains
ephedrine, to three, said Marty Holley, store manager. Ephedrine is the
base ingredient of meth.

"We try to train our checkers to identify suspicious customers," he said.
"There's other things they try to buy, like batteries, which contain
lithium, and hoses for the cooking process. In that case we put two and two
together and call police as soon as possible."

What To Know

The Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare is a nonprofit association of
individuals and organizations engaged in research, education and discussion
regarding problems and resources for improving human welfare. To find out
more about how to spot methamphetamine production and evidence of other
illegal drug use, contact:

- - DeLaine Bottoms, Exchange Club/Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of
Child Abuse, (731) 668-4000.

- - Cpl. Rebecca Agee, Counterdrug Division, Tennessee National Guard, (731)
421-8667.

- - Tennessee National Guard Counterdrug Website:
www.tn.ngb.army.mil/cd/index/html