EXPERTS DISCUSS METH WITH CITIZENS

At Roane State Community College Tuesday, students, day care owners,
teachers concerned citizens and many city and county officials filled the
City Room to capacity to hear a panel of professionals discuss the dangers
of methamphetamine. Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge sponsored the
program which featured representatives from the Anderson County Sheriff's
Department, MMC's emergency room, Anderson County schools and the Quality
Childcare Initiative.

Members of the Tennessee National Guard brought its drug information
trailer for inspection.

The program was a question and answer session and was geared toward
methamphetamine manufacture and its dangers to society and the environment.

Questions ranged from how the drug is made to the legal aspects of how to
keep people who make the illegal drug in jail. John Heffner, MMC, discussed
some of the medical dangers of the ingestion of meth including heart
damage, seizures and hypothermic crisis. He said no studies have been made
to evaluate how toxic fumes from the chemicals used in the process of meth
affect those who come in contact with them.

Monica Mowdy, Quality Childcare Initiative, told the audience that rental
property where meth is being made are now tagged by the county register of
deeds as hazardous dump sites.

Many of the questions from the audience were legal questions and were not
answered by the panel. Those questions were related to bonds for arrested
persons and why the same people are arrested for second and third times
while out on bond.

Mowdy discussed issues about children taken from homes and how their lives
change, and if they may suffer from medical problems as they grow. She also
discussed "tweaking," the act of staying awake for hours or days while on
meth, some of the other signs of abuse and the long-term affects on the
abuser's health.

David Allred, schools, said that the schools' position is prevention. He
said only 2 or 3 percent of students will bring drugs to school and school
personnel catches about 1 out of 4 students who try.

Sgt. Kent Brown, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, said the ease of
manufacturing is one of the biggest concerns locally. He said the
ingredients to make meth are not illegal and people can learn the process
of making with access to the Internet.

The program lasted about an hour. Many who attended toured the National
Guard trailer, where several types of drugs and drug paraphernalia were
displayed.