METH PROBLEM GROWING AT FAST PACE

I represent Coffee and Warren Counties, - two of about 45 Tennessee counties
plagued with an exponentially growing methamphetamine problem.

My primary background and occupation has always been law enforcement.

I walked into my first meth lab in White County, Tenn., in 1996. In the
eight years that have passed, rural Tennessee has become the second most
popular place in the country to setup a meth lab and to cook its poison -
right behind Central California.

In the past 18 months, over 1,600 children have been forcibly removed from
Tennessee homes because their parents were cooking methamphetamine. Over 750
of these children are in state custody - a horrific and costly problem
associated with this drug.

There were over 1,800 meth labs found in Tennessee in 2003 alone. Factor in
that each lab costs between $2,500-$7500 to clean up, and you can see the
additional burden placed on taxpayers. Thousands of inmates in Tennessee's
jails have extensive, long-term adverse health symptoms because of meth.

These include open bleeding sores, rotten mouths, hypertension, major organ
failure, irregular heart rhythms and extensive psychological disorders. Many
have been burned badly from the flash fires and explosions that are all too
common in these clandestine labs.

Who do you think pays for these medical conditions? The taxpayer, of course.

What about crime associated with methamphetamine? The average meth user has
a net worth of $200 and a $400 a day habit. If they don't cook meth at least
every few days, then they have to steal to get the money to buy it.

Do you know what the average life span of a meth addict is? It's only 5-7
years. The recidivism rate for a meth user trying to quit on their own is
95-99 percent. This is the most dangerous and gripping drug ever introduced
to Tennessee, and it will pass crack cocaine as being the drug of choice in
urban areas within the next 2-3 years.

There is another reason meth costs communities more than other drugs. Law
enforcement has the opportunity to seize financial and property assets when
making many cocaine and marijuana cases.

Not so with meth. Seizing cash and real estate tied to the drug trade makes
it easier for law enforcement to recoup some of their expenses and therefore
do more with less taxpayer money.

Not so with meth. Methamphetamine is a loss to our society as a whole -
adversely affecting the family unit, the health of users, law enforcement,
social workers, defense attorneys, doctors, judges and anyone occupying a
residence or motel room where meth has been cooked.

How do we slow the spread of meth? We have to give law enforcement more
latitude in making cases. We have to put methamphetamine on an equal par
with cocaine for sentencing and possession criteria. We have to place
criminal charges on cookers who allow children to be present in a meth lab.
We need to require those who purchase ephedrine and pseudoephedrine - the
common denominator and only Achilles' heel of meth - to sign a registry and
give a limited amount of personal information, with these logs being
periodically checked by law enforcement. In addition to increased
enforcement, we need a comprehensive treatment, prevention and education
program to fight the extensive social impact of this drug.

Ironically, most of these measures have been presented to the state
legislature in one form or another. Most bills are based solely on research
and prior experience with the meth problem. We have surveyed every police
department, sheriff, district attorney, public defender and judge in the
state. We conducted extensive interviews with Tennessee's drug treatment and
prevention community, as well as Tennessee's counterdrug education agencies.

In addition, I have personally addressed the Tennessee Association of
Chief's of Police, Tennessee Sheriff's Association, Tennessee District
Attorney General's Association and many other groups about this matter and
asked for their input.

We have conducted personal meetings with the Tennessee Bureau of
Investigation, Tennessee Department of Education, Health, Environment and
Conservation, Children's Services, TennCare, and other state agencies.

It should be noted that all of these groups and agencies contacted have
wholeheartedly supported the effort to start an immediate fight against
methamphetamine and the unique set of social and environmental problems
associated with it.

Despite all of this research and testimony from professionals, the Ad Hoc
Committee established to review meth bills has recommended that the Governor
form a task force to study the issue for another year. With all due respect
to Governor Bredesen, Senator Cohen and Representative Briley, I disagree.

Failing to throw even the first few punches at this problem and continuing
to allow its unabated growth will be much more costly than any of the
legislation proposed. There are many options on the table that could be
adopted this year if the General Assembly chose to do so.

Because the meth problem is almost totally a rural phenomenon at present, it
is understandable that urban legislators do not fully understand this drug.

Rural legislators are much more qualified to make decisions about and to
relate to the devastating affects of meth.

To wait another year to discuss this matter in the General Assembly will
only mean another 18+ months will pass before meth meets any real
resistance.

The epidemic will spread state wide in that time, and we will begin to see
large quantities of pure crystal meth (or ice) imported by drug cartels to
satisfy the growing market for meth as it spreads into the inner cities. In
addition, statistics tell us to anticipate another 1,500 to 2,000 children
being removed from their homes, dozens of persons will be hideously burned,
hundreds will die of serious meth related illnesses and thousands of crimes
will be committed to support this uncontrollable habit.

We'll see the next phase of financial devastation related to meth as real
estate values are adversely affected in the tens of millions of dollars.
Lending institutions will have to absorb large losses as properties are
condemned and neighborhood values decline.

How can you help? I would suggest that each Tennessean contact their elected
Senators, Representatives and Governor Bredesen. Ask them all to do what is
within their power - address this problem this year. A study committee is a
good idea, but we have to start fighting the problem on some serious level
this year in order to keep the epidemic from doubling in size yet again
before lawmakers can do anything next year.