Pubdate: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 Source: Oak Ridger (TN) Copyright: 2004 The Oak Ridger Contact: http://www.oakridger.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1146 Author: AP Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) BREDESEN MAPS METH STRATEGY CLEVELAND (AP) - After listening to a former teacher describe how almost five years in federal prison helped her escape addictive methamphetamine, Gov. Phil Bredesen said he agrees abusers need to be locked up. "They've got to spend some time in a confined situation," Bredesen said Thursday after the Grundy County woman recalled the "invincible" feelings the drug provided as it took control of her life within a week in 1998. "You have no conscience when you are doing it--no remorse," said the woman, who gave her name to the governor but asked reporters to keep her identity confidential. The woman said she received 500 hours of addiction treatment during her prison term. Bredesen also said he would "look into" whether there is any way that TennCare, the state's health care program for the poor and uninsured that he is trying to reduce, might provide some treatment benefit for meth addicts. Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system and is cooked from over-the-counter ingredients. The governor made the comments following a strategy session with lawmakers and other officials, drug agents and members of his methamphetamine task force in Bradley County, the new ground zero of the destructive drug in Tennessee. Records show Bradley leading counties statewide, with 150 raids on clandestine meth labs between January 1, 2003, and earlier this month, and 23 children removed from the custody of parents charged in meth cases between April 1 and June 30. Bredesen did not pledge support for any of his task force recommendations, such as starting a registry of transactions involving cold tablets containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine that are used to make methamphetamine. He said he plans to develop legislation for 2005. Agents and prosecutors at the meeting described how meth abusers when arrested typically are released on bond and get caught repeatedly before they can be prosecuted in the state's slow-moving court system. Teresa Grant said she and other employees at a child advocacy center have started seeing younger meth users, including their first "12-year-old as a user." She said that signals a "whole new generation of users and cookers and lives that are destroyed." "I don't think it is the only 12 year old," Grant said. "She snorted it and she had seen it at home." Grant said there have been younger children describing how to make the drug. The task force recommendations also included tougher penalties, new education initiatives and increased funding for treatment. Tom Farmer, a Hamilton County deputy and member of the South/East Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force, asked Bredesen to support all the task force recommendations. He said methamphetamine is different from other drugs because it harms anyone who is exposed to the poison fumes and the labs destroy property. "This is a different beast," Farmer said. "It impacts that family, the community, the labor force and workforce. It is a motivator for other thefts and burglaries and robberies. "The harms are still there when the kids get home and of course the environmental hazards." He said two or three years behind bars is an essential part of fighting meth because otherwise "they are not going to get off the drug." - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager