TENNESSEE LAWMAKERS SHOULD HEED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMBATING METH

When it comes to government committees, Gov. Bredesen's task force on
methamphetamine abuse, convened last summer, did a very rare thing. It
delivered on a straightforward, common sense strategy to quell the growing
methamphetamine epidemic in Tennessee.

Now, it's up to the legislature to craft those recommendations into
effective legislation. And the clock is ticking.

There's little doubt that methamphetamine abuse and clandestine meth labs
pose a grave threat to children. In its last report on the subject, the
Department of Children's Services reported that in roughly a year's time,
more than 750 children were placed in state custody as a result of
methamphetamine laboratory seizures and incidents. Particularly at risk are
infants and toddlers living in homes in which toxic lab emissions are present.

There are other illegal drugs out there, but meth's manufacture and
addiction rates make it a unique drug danger to community health and the
environment. And that danger increases daily. Last year, law enforcement
authorities seized more than 1,200 labs in the state - a 400 percent
increase from 2000.

As a result of this explosive, exponential growth, Tennessee now accounts
for a staggering 75 percent of all the meth lab seizures in the entire
southeastern United States.

The problems of meth production and addiction are complex. But the
governor's task force approached them in a thoughtful, thorough manner,
delivering approximately three dozen detailed recommendations as part of a
preliminary plan that contains seven fundamental cornerstones for an
effective strategy.

The basic cornerstones include increasing funding for meth treatment with
an eye toward long-term initiatives, educating communities about the
dangers of abuse, creating and strengthening penalties for meth-related
crimes and committing resources to help children harmed by abuse.

The panel, which delivered its recommendations ahead of schedule, not only
did its job superbly but in acting as swiftly as it did it also recognized
that time is of the essence.

As the 104th Tennessee General Assembly settles down to work, it remains to
lawmakers to take these proposals and make them work as envisioned.

Based on the experience of other states, one of the best things Tennessee
lawmakers could do to put a serious crimp in this criminal activity is to
restrict the sale of a popular class of cold medicines.

Legislation that would restrict the sale of products containing
pseudoephedrine, an essential ingredient in illegal meth manufacture solely
to pharmacies, where it would be kept behind the counter, would be a great
first step. As well, a general public advertising campaign to alert
residents to the tell-tale signs of meth manufacture in their communities
would be money well spent.

The state has established a Web site, MethFree Tennessee
http://www.methfreetn.org that should also help educate the public about
meth dangers.

Given the immense scope of the problem, fighting illegal meth labs and the
poisonous product they make won't be easy. But lawmakers should not turn
aside from this effort simply because it is difficult, nor stint on the
funding needed to eradicate it.

Given the appropriate legislative response and the resources to back it up
on the local level, we have the means to begin a much needed counterattack
against this pernicious adversary.