IT'S TIME FOR STATE TO CRACK DOWN ON METH

NASHVILLE - Gov. Phil Bredesen has proclaimed March "Meth-Free Tennessee
Month." The public awareness campaign coincides with the legislative push
to curb the manufacture of the highly addictive stimulant methamphetamine.
Tennessee leads the Southeast in the number of meth labs seized, according
to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The drug is produced in
clandestine laboratories across the state from relatively inexpensive
over-the-counter ingredients.

Meth has long been regarded as a rural problem, particularly in the Upper
Cumberland region. However, authorities warn that the drug is creeping into
urban areas. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn says two
labs were found in a Shelby County hotel in January.

This prompted the Black Caucus of State Legislators to become involved in
the push to curb the meth problem. They've endorsed the bills to curb its
use, known collectively as the "Meth-Free Tennessee Act of 2005."

"We want to prevent this drug from devastating our community like it's
devastated the rural areas," said House Speaker Pro Tem Lois DeBerry,
D-Memphis. "We've got to educate our constituents about this drug so we can
do something to prevent it from being an epidemic in the inner city."

A major component of the legislation is the proposed sales restriction of
over-the-counter cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine. It's one of the
main ingredients in the meth recipe. The bill would limit sales of many
such drugs to licensed pharmacies and require that they be placed behind
the counter.

Retailers have argued that this restricts access by law-abiding,
Sutafed-buying citizens. Bredesen debunked this argument by excluding
liquids and gel caps from the limits, since they can't be easily decomposed
to make meth.

Meth cooks also use things like Drano, Ajax and lithium batteries to cook
the brown rocky substance. That begs the question of why one would
voluntarily consume a substance made from such unappealing ingredients.

Meth users say the drug produces an instant high that puts cocaine to
shame. It makes the brain race and intensely stimulates the central nervous
system. The high is comparable to trading in your vintage Volkswagen Beetle
for a top-fuel dragster with an average speed of about 300 miles-per-hour.
One hit of meth produces a high that lasts several hours, while a snort of
cocaine wears off after an hour or so.

The extreme highs also come with serious consequences. Meth affects the
central nervous system, and chronic use can lead to brain and spinal cord
damage and, in extreme cases, death.

Drug use in general also leads to crime and poverty, and meth is no
exception. Junkies in need of a fix will do anything to get it. Often they
don't realize they're hurting the people who love them until it's too late,
because life to them is merely a means to an end.

In Tennessee, more than 700 children wind up in state custody each year as
a result of meth lab seizures and incidents. Officials with the Department
of Children's Services say infants and toddlers are particularly at risk
when they are taken from homes in which toxic lab emissions and residue has
settled on floors and furniture.

Other provisions of the Meth-Free Tennessee Act include closing the
so-called "personal use loophole" in criminal law. Currently meth cooks can
get lighter sentences by claiming they made the drug only for personal use.

The measure also would require health professionals to report meth
lab-related burns and injuries to local law enforcement, similar to the
current reporting of gunshot and knife wounds.

From October 2003 to August 2004, law enforcement authorities seized
nearly 1,200 labs in Tennessee. They say that's an increase of 397 percent
from 2000.

Keep in mind that figure only reflects the labs that were busted. Labs can
be set up anywhere - from warehouses to bathrooms and tool sheds. Labs have
even been found in the trunks of cars.

State lawmakers need to act now to stamp out the meth problem before it
gets any worse. Meth is a moving target, which makes it nearly impossible
to eradicate. However, that shouldn't be an excuse to do nothing.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Mary Perren is the Tennessee correspondent for Metro
Source, a division of Westwood One Communications.)