DON'T MIX POLITICS WITH METH

There's been an explosion in the number of methamphetamine labs in
Tennessee, and lawbreakers who buy a few over-the-counter medications
and cook them into a harmful drug have put a lot of lives in jeopardy.
We believe that many times politics interferes with what is best for
Tennesseans, and politics and the problem with meth in our state
really do make strange bedfellows.

The majority of our representatives on Capitol Hill really want to get
serious about this explosion of meth labs, meth deaths, meth tearing
apart families and meth endangering the lives of our young people.

But there is one thing certain: half measures will never stop the
scourge of meth.

Gov. Phil Bredesen has proclaimed March "Meth-Free Tennessee Month"
with the public awareness campaign coinciding with the legislative
push to curb the manufacture of the highly addictive stimulant
methamphetamine.

Tullahoma and other communities have adopted ordinances dealing with
the over the counter sale of certain cold medications that is used in
the manufacture of meth. The governor has also proposed legislation
targeting the over the counter sales of such medications. Some
retailers and legitimate makers of cold medicines are fighting
restrictions that may be too constrictive, too intrusive on proper
sales of certain medications. But stores in Tullahoma have reported
unusual buying practices of some customers to police in an effort to
help in the war on meth labs.

Laws can only do so much to control behavior, but any help at all will
be of some relief to law enforcement officers and social workers who
are dealing with the deadly effects of meth.

Last year Rep. Judd Matheny sponsored the Tennessee Comprehensive
Mathamphetamine Prevention, Treatment and Control Act of 2004 but the
Tullahoma Republican's sincere effort fell victim to politics and was
swept aside while a "study committee" looked at it.

The bill focused on two major areas of the meth problem: increasing
penalties for offenders and limiting the sale of the raw materials
used to make the drug.

Rep. Matheny, a former police officer and state narcotics agent, says
he "literally watched this epidemic be born," and "we still don't have
any stronger laws than we did 10 years ago to deal with the problem."

Meth is easily made in a house, shed, vehicle or from a suitcase using
common ingredients such as cold remedy pills, lye, acetone and
muriatic acid that may be bought at retail stores. Rep. Matheny's bill
last year would treat meth like cocaine, meaning an additional eight
years in prison and higher fines than the current law. First-time
offenders would face a 90-day jail term and court-ordered addiction
counseling.

He says that until the state makes "it harder on the pocketbook and
throw more folks in jail, we're not going to prevent this problem."

Rep. Matheny and other legislators also are looking at ways to clean
up property where a meth lab has been operating, since the chemicals
used in the manufacturing of meth have a toxic effect on buildings,
land and anything else it may touch.

Some persons are looking at ways to increase the amount of bonds set
for suspects charged with making meth. Often those suspects nabbed are
out of jail in less than 24 hours and go back to making meth again.

Too, there is a move to send people with multiple arrests for making
meth into the federal court system where it is a much different ball
game where defendants are looking at serious fines and long prison
terms.

More than one way exists to rid the state of the scourge of meth labs.
We need state legislators who will get serious about meth and who will
listen to legislators such as Rep. Matheny and his counterparts in the
General Assembly.