METH 'SCOURGE' KNOCKS AT CITY LIMITS

What is a miracle drug for some during allergy season has caused an
explosion in illegal activity that puts children in danger.

And more than 150 agency representatives from 11 counties Wednesday
gathered to discuss ways to effectively respond to the consequences of
others' methamphetamine abuse on youngsters.

Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols, in conjunction
with the U.S. Attorney's Office, and Knox County Juvenile Court,
sponsored the seminar. It took place at the Moses Teen Center of the
Knoxville Police Department Training Academy.

"The scourge is coming our way," Nichols said. "We're trying to become
educated and get ahead of it a little bit."

Methamphetamine, which was primarily an issue concentrated in rural,
blue-collar areas, has spread across race, gender and economic lines,
said Paul Laymon, an assistant United States attorney in Chattanooga.

Drastic measures need to be taken, such as the federal government
making ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient used to
manufacture the drug, illegal or removing them from nonpharmacy
stores, he said.

"Tennessee needs to try that," he said. "But there is a fine line
between controlling sales and making it available to the general public."

Retailers are joining in the effort. Stores like Walgreen's keep
medicines containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in locked cases.
Others sell them only two at a time, Nichols said.

In Knox County, 20 law enforcement, courts and emergency response
agencies have signed an agreement on an established protocol for use
when dealing with children endangered by methamphetamine.

One example is wrapping an a-symptomatic child in a protective blanket
before putting him or her in the back of a law enforcement vehicle,
said Knoxville Fire Department Assistant Chief Mark Foulks.

"Wrapping is a little bit controversial but this can minimize any
cross-contamination," he said.

This serves as a model for other counties. Wednesday's event also was
a way to glean ideas from other counties on how they handle the
problem, Nichols said.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn said Wednesday
agencies ought to confront the methamphetamine issue before it becomes
an epidemic.

"So many kids are being orphaned. The tentacles of meth are
far-reaching," he said. "If people don't take this to heart and become
more proactive, there'll be so many lives destroyed."