Pubdate: Fri, 17 May 2002
Source: Daily Times, The (TN)
Copyright: 2002 Horvitz Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.thedailytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1455
Author: Lance Coleman
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?194 (Hutchinson, Asa)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH A "SCOURGE"

Methamphetamine is a "scourge" on society and the labs that create 
the illicit drug threaten the officers who raid them and the 
neighbors who live by them.

That's what federal officials said during a Thursday press conference 
to raise awareness of the drug's dangers.

Drug Enforcement Administration Director Asa Hutchison was speaking 
with state and local officials as part of a nationwide "Meth in 
America: Not in Our Town" tour that stopped at McGhee Tyson Airport 
Thursday.

Harry S. "Sandy" Matice Jr., the United States Attorney for the 
Eastern District of Tennessee, also spoke.

"As everyone knows, methamphetamine is a scourge here in Tennessee 
and across the nation," he said.

Not only is methamphetamine potentially lethal for users, it also can 
be deadly to the drug"s manufacturers as well as officials raiding 
the labs and neighbors living nearby, Hutchison said.

The problem does not just affect the big cities, but affects the 
"heartland" of the country because it can be manufactured in rural 
areas and is made from products that can be obtained at most retail 
outlets.

Hutchison used the awareness campaign to encourage business owners to 
offer assistance to employees dealing with drug addiction.

"Seventy-five percent of users are employed in either full-or 
part-time jobs," he said.

When asked whether more federal money would be coming to the area"s 
law enforcement agencies, Hutchison said he is encouraging agencies 
to be more flexible in how they use their funds.

Tom Hinojosa, DEA spokesman, said the increased awareness will 
hopefully lead to an increase in funding from Congress.

"Our goal is to increase awareness in law enforcement and business 
communities," he said.

"If awareness is emphasized and more and more people know about 
methamphetamine and the danger and cost associated with it, perhaps 
more money will be allocated," he said.
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