Drugs? (Rutherford: crime, home, buying)

[TornadoAlley]

Originally Posted by wellkids

Meth can and is found everywhere. It is a "problem" in the rural areas and not in your populated communities.

According to Rid-Med.org the problem areas in TN are quoted as follows:

2005 Summary
The hot spots in Tennessee for meth seizures in 2005 were Hamilton County (76), Monroe County (75), Coffee and Marion counties (69 each), and Grainger County (67).

Three counties deserve extra attention due to the extraordinary rise in meth-related seizures in 2005:

Grainger County - Seizures increased from 18 in 2004 to 67 in 2005, a 272% increase.
Warren County - Seizures increased from 29 in 2004 to 58 in 2005, a 100% increase.
Anderson County - Seizures increased from 25 in 2004 to 47 in 2005, an 88% increase.
The three counties reporting the largest drop in meth-related seizures are:
Bradley County - Seizures decreased from 123 in 2004 to 45 in 2005, a 63% decrease.
McMinn County - Seizures decreased from 127 in 2004 to 58 in 2005, a 54% decrease.
Hamilton County - Seizures decreased from 109 in 2004 to 76 in 2005, a 30% decrease.


If you will go to their website, rid-med.org, you can find all the stats and info on meth that you desire. It will even break it down by county and the number of seizures. Rutherford County shows "0" but note that even Williamson County has 1. Meth labs can be found everywhere. I just attended a meth informational seminar and was told by the National Guard that meth labs are down significantly in TN due to the new meth-free laws and task forces addressing this problem. My husband volunteers with the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department and they are very determined to keep meth labs out of M'boro and Rutherford County. Once someone gets into making meth, it becomes obvious pretty quickly that something is wrong in the home. Thus, the need for seclusion and making meth in the rural areas is the desired location.

Murfreesboro does not have a meth problem ~ other than the fact that meth is around us all and everyone needs to be aware of the signs and fight to stop this from spreading.

Agree! This site was a bad link. Typo? rid-med.org

[TornadoAlley]

Originally Posted by Magster

I believe the Web site is rid-meth.org

Found it. Good site!

[TornadoAlley]

Originally Posted by Joe P

This Meth thing has me scratching my head. When I first moved here I saw the Meth Free TN and Meth Kills advertisements and thought heck, the stuff must be everywhere. I mean, coming here from Florida it seemed like Tn would be the meth capital of the countr and that you'd be able to buy bags of it out of vending machines on street corners.

After the first few weeks, then the first month and now after three months, I still have not found any.....not that I'm really looking. I have hypothesized a few possibilities:

1) It's a very rural problem. I mean way rural. Like the segment of society that doesn't work, come into the city (or even the outskirts) and pretty much stays in their shack in the wods.

2) This one might make me sound like a "tin foil hat" type but I have to wonder. See, Florida's equivelant of "The Meth problem That Will Ruin Society" is drunk driving. I'd say on a per-mile traveled basis you see the same number of anti-meth billboards as you do in Florida against drunk driving. Much like I came here expecting the streets to be littered with meth, someone from here might move to Florida and think every motorist is intoxicated. The driving habits in a lot of Florida might help reinforce this belief, yet I'm digressing.
Anyway, I have to wonder if perhaps the different states don't recieve some sort of federal funding for their issues. I know, it might be a stretch but is it not out of the realm of possibility that there is some money at the root of the "problem" and meth happens to be the pet-project for this particular state? I'm not denying that it's here, but could it be less of a problem than we might think so that the state can get funds from the Fed?

Anyway, since I've been here I've met people from all walks of life and have yet to meet anyone that jumped out at me as a meth-head. Since I'm in construction, and drugs usually follow my industry, I think I would have picked up on it by now if it was that prevelant. For those who can not ID a meth user, they are typically hyper, very skinny, bad teeth and edgy. Plenty of people around here with bad teeth but not does one symptom an addition make.

...... .......

[mhogan10010]

I have a close friend who is a sheriff in Western NC, where I used to live and my mom resides (rural mill town area). He said their county has one of the highest Meth rates in the state. However, he said the reason is that they instituted anti-meth measures on all domestic violence investigations, traffic stops etc. Now they are actually catching them and shutting them down, hence the higher rate. Therefore, a slightly higher rate may mean that law enforcement is actually doing something about it.

[TornadoAlley]

Originally Posted by mhogan10010

I have a close friend who is a sheriff in Western NC, where I used to live and my mom resides (rural mill town area). He said their county has one of the highest Meth rates in the state. However, he said the reason is that they instituted anti-meth measures on all domestic violence investigations, traffic stops etc. Now they are actually catching them and shutting them down, hence the higher rate. Therefore, a slightly higher rate may mean that law enforcement is actually doing something about it.

What area was that? I see this map, but it doesn't show Murfressboro though.
http://www.rid-meth.org/maps/Picture1.png (broken link)

[heathersmom]

Originally Posted by mhogan10010

... he said the reason is that they instituted anti-meth measures on all domestic violence investigations, traffic stops etc. Now they are actually catching them and shutting them down, hence the higher rate. Therefore, a slightly higher rate may mean that law enforcement is actually doing something about it.

I just came from lunch with my husband and mentioned the numbers I found about different areas- he and i agreed---is it better that there are low numbers of drug arrest???OR does that simply mean that they are turning a blind eye to it in that particular area? So what do I want high arrests or low arrests? Its like a double edge sword...darned if you do darned if you don't kinda thing...

[TornadoAlley]

Growing up with both parents who worked for Sheriff dept. A blind eye I doubt. I would rather live in low number area. Just my opinion.

[heathersmom]

I would too but we (I) tend to look at the positive side of things...just a thought...I see Bledsoe has 0 but then the county below it has like 25! Yikes! So I think--hmmm--upper Bledsoe County area sounds good...actually- I left feedback for the State of TN on that site b/c you know at least the great State of TN is admitting a problem and working towards a solution...and it looks as though they are going right for the throat -- where as some States have the same or similar problems but do not want to admit it or hope it's a passing fad...I (as a NY'er) have to give TN credit for addressing this problem and putting out there for others to critisize--being such a rural state- what everyone "loves" about TN- and Meth seemingly being the rural drug--I think ya'll are doing a great job...

[momof2dfw]

Meth is a problem everywhere. In Texas it is in the cities and in rural areas. Just recently there was a news story about a meth bust at a nice house in a nice neighborhood in a suburb South of Dallas. According to the report the neighbors were shocked that a drug house would be in their neighborhood. There was also a big write up last year about the meth problem in rural East Texas. There have also been several meth busts in hotel/motel rooms. If you have the addresses for the busts check to make sure it is not a hotel/motel. It can also be "cooked" in a vehicle going down the road like in the back of a van. Dangerous but it can be done.

Spotting a meth user is not hard. While they do have the bad teeth, hair, skinny, etc they are also out more during the night instead of the day. So you are not liable to see them at the grocery store in the middle of the day.

[heathersmom]

Its just such a scary situation--can anyone tell me if TN sells SUDAFED or things of such nature over the counter? Like here in NY at Rite Aid or Wal-Mart you have to get a card and take it to the Pharmacy...the other day I was proofed buying Nyquil! Summer colds suck--I couldn't believe she proofed me! I also was proofed one time as I bought glue for my sons models! Well...I'm past the alchol proofing age--so I guess I shouldn't complain.