VIEWPOINT - METH IS OUT OF CONTROL

"We're number one! We're number one!" We imagine that many of you remember
chanting this during your high school years, cheering on the hometown team
with the notion that your city or county was superior in every way to
others.

Unfortunately, Franklin County is number one in an area that we should be
ashamed of. That's because according to figures maintained by the Federal
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Franklin County is now considered the top
producer of the illegal drug methamphetamine in the state of Tennessee.
Figures show that as of the middle of last week, 52 labs have been found in
rural Franklin County. Also, Winchester police officials states that they
have confiscated 32 so far this year. But this is no surprise to anyone who
reads this paper on a regular basis. Arrests involve homemade labs occur so
often in this county that many have become accustomed to seeing the words
"meth" in nearly any recent edition of this publication. Considering 1,154
clandestine meth labs were found statewide in fiscal 2003 compared to 235 in
fiscal 2000, it's obvious this problem is growing. This is a plague that
affects not only the people who become addicted to it, but also their
children, who often are placed in state custody because meth users can no
longer care for them. All meth makers need is a house, apartment,
out-of-the-way trailer or shed and ingredients such as cold pills containing
ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, rubbing alcohol, drain cleaner and matches.
With a concoction made of those substances, it is little wonder people who
use it are on the fast track to a grave, jails or hospitals. State
Representative Judd Matheny says meth use is spreading like wild fire in
southern middle Tennessee and he's already working on tough new legislation
aimed at cracking down on makers and users. Matheny, a Tullahoma Republican,
says he is working to raise criminal penalties for meth makers and users to
a tougher Class D felony offense that would fetch longer jail terms and
higher fines. He also wants legislation that would limit the wholesale and
retail sales of common household and over-the-counter medications used to
make the drug. His proposed bill would require a photo i.d., signature, and
statement of use from anyone buying large amounts of cold medications,
rubbing alcohol or machines. Raising the penalties against the makers of the
drug would be a great idea...and it's one that we have discussed before. Too
often, the amount of bond that is set for suspects charged with making meth
in this county is far too low. The ones who get nabbed are often out of jail
in less than 24 hours and go right back and start making the drug again.
However, some people who have been arrested multiple times for making meth
now have to face federal prosecution. It's a much different game in this
ballpark.

Instead of forking over a few hundred dollars to the bondsman and going home
after only several hours in the county lock up, these folks are looking at
serious fines and long prison terms. If strong penalties were handed out to
begin with, perhaps those first time users and makers of the drug would find
a reason to stop before they end up spending a long part of their lives
behind bars...or a brief stay at the funeral home.