GOVERNOR ESTABLISHES METH TASK FORCE

Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed an executive order establishing the
Governor's Task Force on Methamphetamine Abuse to develop a
comprehensive strategy for addressing the manufacture, trafficking and
abuse of the drug. The task force is charged with presenting findings
and recommendations on a broad strategy to the governor by Sept. 1.
The panel will consist of 20 representatives from a range of fields,
including law enforcement, health care, education and human services,
as well as 12 ex-officio members who will provide general advice and
counsel to the core group.

The first meeting is scheduled for April 27 in Nashville. Subsequent
meetings will be held in communities across Middle and East Tennessee
- - the heart of meth territory in Tennessee.

"The meth scourge represents a clear and present danger to the health
and well being of our state," Bredesen said in signing the 18th
executive order of his administration. "This is a task force that
won't be anchored in Nashville, but will go into ground zero of the
problem - the Cumberland Plateau, The Sequatchie Valley and wherever
else meth is destroying lives and communities."

Ken Givens, commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, will serve
as the task force chairman. Givens, a former state representative from
Hawkins County, has a firm understanding of the predominantly rural
social and health issues associated with the meth abuse. Givens also
is a longtime advocate for children's health.

Methamphetamine, a powerfully addictive stimulant that affects the
central nervous system, is produced in clandestine laboratories across
Tennessee with relatively inexpensive over-the-counter ingredients.
The drug has been on the rise in recent years. The U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration estimates that Tennessee now accounts for
75 percent of meth in the southeast.

Meth abuse is disproportionately affecting children, according to
officials. Between January 2002 and July 2003, more than 700 children
were placed in state custody as a result of meth allegations. Based on
the rapid increase in cases, the Tennessee Department of Children's
Services expects that number will nearly double during the next year.
Bredesen cautioned Tennessee's meth problem won't be solved overnight.

"It's taken a generation to create this problem. But, as a state, we
have an obligation to act now."

He added, "Some people say we've already lost a generation to meth. I
don't intend to lose another one."

For more information on meth in Tennessee, visit the DEA's website at
http://www.usdoj.gov/pubs/states/tennessee.html.