LAWMEN, EDUCATORS TEAM UP FOR WAR ON METH

Over the past several months much has been written and said about the
dangers of manufacturing and using the drug crystal methamphetamine, often
referred to as "the poor man's cocaine." Other issues are now being
addressed regarding the damaging effects that the production and use of
this illegal drug has on all of us.

A rural drug that seems to have replaced marijuana as the drug of choice
for many, the Cumberland Plateau appears to be its manufacturing capital.
The number of meth-related arrests and lab seizures has increased
dramatically over the past year and repeat offenders are the rule, not the
exception. There have been cases when the same individuals were arrested on
consecutive days for the very same meth producing offense. The only thing
that changed was the location. That illustrates the highly addictive nature
of this menace that can be produced from ingredients readily available for
consumer purchase.

While the effects on the producers and users are easily seen, the long term
effects on others are not so obvious, but can be devastating, especially
from an emotional standpoint. Family members suffer from the loss of a son
or daughter, brother or sister, or, in the most tragic cases, a youngster
loses one or both parents. This loss is not necessarily due to death;
rather, the drug is so powerful that it takes priority over family
relationships. Jobs are lost, careers are ruined, and families destroyed by
the user's need for the temporary euphoric state brought on by the drug.

The financial impact, while not directly affecting most, can be
substantial. Hospital staffs have to be retrained to know how to deal with
patients who are often combative and come in for treatment with hazardous
materials on their person. In some cases, a slight amount of water mixed
with these volatile ingredients could cause a violent explosion. Additional
security has been added to many medical facilities due to the
ever-increasing number of meth-related illnesses dealt with.

Statistics show that 90 percent of those are uninsured and the cost of the
battery of tests alone can be as much as $2,000. Psychiatric transfers from
medical facilities are numerous, many of them meth-related, and the
transportation costs alone are substantial.

Law enforcement agencies have also had to undergo additional training to
help ensure the safety of officers and the general public when dealing with
labs and offenders. Additional equipment is required and the cost of
cleanup at a lab site by a hazardous materials team is an average of
approximately $5,000 per occurrence. Over the past year there have been
more than 300 incidents investigated by the Cumberland County Sheriff's
Department involving meth, however, not all required a disposal team. This
does not include the large number that have been handled by City of
Crossville law enforcement. There are three private firms in the state that
are qualified to dispose of the hazardous materials.

Sheriff Butch Burgess said that Cumberland County is fortunate to have a
total of five law enforcement officers who are certified as lab techs, four
deputies and one city police officer. One of the deputies is also qualified
as a site safety supervisor. Burgess added that additional manpower is
needed, however, the funding for that is just not available. As an example
of the increase in the drug's manufacture and use, on one evening recently,
city officers and county deputies each seized a methamphetamine lab.

In addition to fighting the production and use of the drug through
investigations and arrests, law enforcement has teamed with Cumberland
Medical Center and the Neighborhood Watch Program to take methamphetamine
education to the classroom, the church-room, and to the meeting room of
many civic organizations to provide seminars for interested groups
regarding the dangers presented by the presence of meth. Most recently the
seminars, titled "Is there a meth lab cooking in your neighborhood?", have
been presented at area schools to the teachers and administration. These
will, hopefully, help the teachers spot any possible signs of a student's
exposure to the dangerous drug.