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, TN 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 1600 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 1800 meth labs found in Tennessee in 2003 alone. Factor
in that each lab costs between $2500-$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%. 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 1500 to 2000
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.
Thanks,
Judd Matheny
State Representative
