METH HARMING ALL OF US: EXPERTS

Because there are so few laws in place to protect society from the effects
of methamphetamine production, this drug may be affecting us all in
unsuspected and disturbing ways, said experts in Cookeville last week.

To combat this, a group of Middle Tennessee residents has begun to form a
coalition to fight the meth epidemic, and the National Guard is offering to
talk to any organization, school, or business to educate them about the
symptoms and effects of methamphetamine addiction.

To stress the importance of the problem, the National Guard hosted a special
three-hour seminar at the Putnam County Community Center last Thursday.

Speakers included DEA agent Greg Peckinpaw, Putnam County Sheriff David
Andrews, Putnam County detective Greg Whittaker, representatives from the
Hazmat Company, which disposes of the hazardous materials found in meth drug
production, Dr. Sullivan Smith, who works with the Drug Task Force and is
director of the emergency room at CRMC, and Major Nick Gentry from the
National Guard.

The panel agreed that there are no laws in place that could restrain
property owners and retailers who aid in the production of methamphetamine
by catering to drug users.

For instance, with no protective laws in place, motel rooms that have been
used as meth labs can be rented out again to unsuspecting guests who don't
know they're sleeping in a room that once contained hazardous waste.

Motel owners who repeatedly rent rooms to those who use them to produce
methamphetamine are not held responsible for the ongoing drug production on
their property.

Houses ruined by methamphetamine production may be repossessed and then sold
to buyers who have no idea that they're buying a home that could still be
contaminated.

Retailers who have been asked to voluntarily keep alert for individuals who
buy the large quantities of household chemicals and over the counter
medications like Sudafed that contain pseudephredrine, a chemical needed to
make meth, don't have to obey those requests.

In fact, some mainstream retailers are finding that the increased sales of
meth production materials is a money maker for their stores and have hired
lobbyists to stop legislation that might restrict their sales, officials
said.

In addition, in many areas meth addicts are now beginning to use public,
state and national parks as places to cook up dangerous doses of
methamphetamine. The chemicals used in meth production can leech into the
ground as hazardous waste and contaminate the air with noxious fumes which
can affect children and other park visitors.

"One pound of meth leaves five pounds behind of toxic waste," Peckinpaw
said.

It costs from $2,000 to $5,000 to clean up each site.

The chemicals in methamphetamine are so lethal that Putnam County law
officers aren't allowed to handle the materials themselves, but are required
to call the DEA, which then calls Hazmat to dispose of the hazardous waste.

The audience at the three-hour meeting also learned about the effects of
methamphetamine on the bodies and minds of users, but their questions came
back time after time to how little authority Putnam County and Cookeville
law enforcement officers have in stopping the production and sale of the
addictive drug that destroys its users physically and makes them unable to
cope as parents or job holders.

"Does the sheriff have the authority to condemn a building that has been
used as a meth lab?" asked one of the attendees.

"No," Sheriff Andrews answered.

"No one, not the EPA, not the Health Dept., not the DEA, has set a standard
that can be used by law enforcement officials," he said.

DEA agent Peckinpaw agreed.

"Law enforcement is five years behind what's going on," he said.

"No specific agency makes this determination. No agency is willing to take a
stand against this. People aren't willing to step forward and put their
names on it," he said.

The exception to that is State Senator Charlotte Burks who has successfully
created legislation that has made it possible for the department of
Children's Services to remove youngsters from parents who have been
producing methamphetamine. And she has recently introduced legislation that
would ask retailers to take some responsibility in overseeing the sale of
household chemicals that go into the production of methamphetamine.

When people at the meeting were asked what the public can do, they were told
there were two possibilities:

* Organize into a large and vocal group so state legislators will take the
situation seriously.

* Go into local stores and ask them to monitor their sales of cleaning
products and over the counter medications that contain pseudephredrine (like
Sudafed).

"Go to any stores that sell these products, like Walgreens, Wal-Mart,
Kroger, and others and let them know you're concerned about the meth
problem. Ask them what they're doing to insure they're not participating in
it," Peckinpaw said.

Suggestions for retailers would be for them to display such products
prominently and near the check out counter and that they train their clerks
to look for buyers who purchase large quantities of the materials and show
symptoms of meth addiction. By checking ID's or noticing license plates,
retailers can help the police and sheriff's departments find meth producers.

For more information on joining the coalition, call John Rust, AmeriCorps
Director, at 931-646-4045. The coalition's next meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday, May 6, from 9 a.m. -- 10:30 a.m. at the Cookeville Police
Department's conference room at 10 East Broad.

To ask for a speaker from the National Guard call (931) 432-1620.