SHEDDING HOPE ON 'METH' PROBLEM

The bad news is that methamphetamine is considered one of the most
devastating drugs of our time.

"Meth" is destroying families and ripping children from their homes.
It has the power to transform the best of people into craving addicts
who will stop at nothing to get their "meth" fix.

As bleak as the situation seems, however, the good news is that hope
and deliverance can be found through treatment and support and the
bright light of recovery is at the end of a dark tunnel that meth
users know too well. That's the message a panel of experts and
counselors shared with a standing-room-only crowd of concerned and
heartbroken citizens Thursday night when at least 150 attendees
gathered for a meth conference at the Coffee County Administrative
Plaza.

Many fought back tears as an emotional film portrayed the ugly
realities of meth - children being removed from their homes by armed
meth lab agents while their "stoned" caregivers watched helplessly as
the last things they hold dear were taken away.

Christine Archer, family resource director for Manchester City
Schools, and Sarah Hailey, family support services officer for Coffee
County Schools, are both caring women who are leading the community in
the meth fight. They worked tirelessly to organize the meth awareness
conference and invited a panel of speakers that included local law
enforcement officers, state officials and district
representatives.

Betsy Dunn, a supervisor and caseworker for Child Protective Services
in the Upper Cumberland region, relayed her experiences of removing
children from their homes and the traumatic effect it has on them. She
spoke of children who had become sick in a toxic environment of meth
created by their own parents and shared her story of befriending a
mentally impaired 17 year-old child who suffered a kidney transplant,
likely due to the effects of meth in his home. She said the boy is now
in the care of a loving foster parent and that she and the boy
recently celebrated their birthdays, which just happen to fall on the
same day.

"It's the worst form of child endangerment I've ever seen," she said,
adding that, in 2002, 103 children were placed in state custody for
meth related issues. That number climbed to 179 in 2003. Through
August of this year, 84 children had been removed from their homes due
to meth. Ms. Dunn said she was grieved that, in the month of March
alone, 38 children were handed over to the state.

"The reunification rate is very sad, because it's very low," she
informed the crowd. "The things I have seen are horrific - parents
turned their backs on their children. In this capacity, I've never
seen anything like methamphetamines." Ms. Dunn was interviewed last
week for a series that aired on National Public Radio.

Sgt. Frank Watkins, an investigator with the Coffee County Sheriff's
Department, spoke on how local law enforcement is affected by meth
production, in addition to providing a detailed explanation of what
ingredients constitute the toxic potion. He said agents uncover one to
two meth labs every week in Coffee County. Those labs began showing up
in 1995.

The drug has been in existence for a long time, with its first known
synthesis dating back to 1887, Watkins added. Its necessary component
is ephedrine, an ingredient found in many over-the-counter cold
medicines. Lawmakers and law enforcement officials have discussed
requiring prescriptions for medications containing ephedrine as a way
to curb production of meth by making it more difficult and costly.

Watkins said meth was sold legally in 1932 as a nasal spray and later
for the treatment of narcolepsy and obesity. After some serious
discussion on the negative effects of meth, Pam White, the statewide
director of the Community, Anti-Drug Coalition, delivered a message of
hope.

"You're living in one of the best places in the country for
solutions," she said, Prevention is a key factor, she maintained.

"We have learned a few things regarding drug addiction over the
years," she said. "Some are more likely to become addicted." According
to Ms. White, studies have shown that those with addiction in the
family run a high risk of involvement with drugs. Something else they
have learned is that anyone can become addicted, shattering the
stereotype that a "druggie" is a homeless bum out on the street in
tattered clothes. This addiction affects business men and women in
suits and ties - the affluent as well as the poor in society. Meth is
no respecter of persons.

She encouraged the group to, first, stay away from the drug. Just
don't even go there. Secondly, she said children should be engaged
with caring, competent adults in activities in and outside of school.
They should be kept busy with responsibilities in their homes and
communities, she added. Ms. White believes, "Part of prevention is to
have a plan. We know if we plan, we can make it happen." Drawing
applause, she said the federal government has responded to the need
for help in the state of Tennessee by awarding a $12 million grant
that will be distributed within the next five years for developing
prevention plans in communities. In addition, the state has been
granted another $17.8 million throughout the next three years to help
meth users receive the treatment they need.

"They can have a life of recovery and joy." Inadequate treatment, she
said, is similar to prescribing an aspirin for someone with Melanoma.
Effectively treating someone with a meth addiction requires a
consecutive 90-day stay in a treatment center in addition to
after-care, Ms. White said.

Before the meeting was adjourned, State Rep. Judd Matheny, a former
law enforcement officer from Tullahoma; Mark Yother, chief
investigator for the Manchester Police Department; Dean Honeycutt, a
Manchester dentist, fielded questions from the audience.

Displays, including a trailer containing educational materials and a
simulated meth lab, were provided by the Tennessee National Guard and
the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.