Tennessee Combating Meth Early, In the Schools
In an effort to reign in meth lab seizures, Tennessee officials are hoping a new video being shown to middle and high school students will help warn kids about the dangers associated with this drug and bring the number of labs and illicit “smurfing” back down.
After several years of steady decline, meth lab seizures in the state reached 1,199 in 2010. This was the highest rate since 2004 when the numbers first began declining. The same trend is being seen nationwide and experts believe it is due, at least in part, to the new methods of meth making that seem to make the process easier.
They warn that these easier methamphetamine methods are just as dangerous as the old ones and although the new approaches may allow for smaller batches to be made, they can spell big legal trouble if caught.
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference and Governor Bill Haslam are kicking off a new campaign called “Meth Destroys” which includes a video that can be seen here at the Tennessean.com. This is the first such educational video made for students since the original anti-meth campaigns of 2005.
Obviously the campaign is made to educate kids about the dangers of meth and meth manufacturing. Most of the youth already understand there are risks when making and using meth, but the video hopes that by showing firsthand accounts of addition and even a woman scarred by a meth lab explosion days after her fifteenth birthday will do the trick in discouraging kids.
Previous programs aimed at the youth have had mixed results. The old DARE program was shown to have little effect on reducing the likelihood that a child would try drugs, despite millions being put into it throughout the years.
Meth is cheap and it’s relatively easy to make. Now that there are recipes that take little more than a package of cold pills and some things laying around the house, anyone can become a drug manufacturer and skip a visit to the dealer down the street. This isn’t just alluring to kids, it’s alluring to grown up addicts and people looking to make a quick buck too.
In July, lawmakers increased penalties for people caught with a meth lab in the home where children were present. They also increased fines and set up a system designed to stop sales of pseudoephedrine to people once they have reached a certain limit.
The penalties for meth related crimes have never been higher, nor has the motivation by officials to enforce them. If you are charged with a meth offense, contact our offices today to discuss your case and for a free consultation.
