Meth registry includes 27 local offenders

Over 550 meth traffickers had their names listed on the state?s meth registry during its first year as Tennessee saw a noticeable decline in the number of meth labs for the first time since the epidemic began in the mid-1990s.

The meth registry, which can be accessed at www.tbi.state.tn.us, lists offenders who have been convicted over the past year for meth production.

The Web site lists 27 offenders from Warren County, meaning the county accounted for nearly 5 percent of all people on the registry in its first year.

The Web site was created as part of the Meth Free Tennessee Act, which was also a product of a ban on over-the-counter, ephedrine-based drugs, which are now sold only through pharmacies. Ephedrine is an essential ingredient in the production of meth and can be found in many cold medications and pep pills which were formerly easily accessed by the public.

Since the Meth Free Act passed, Tennessee has experienced nearly a 50 percent reduction in meth lab seizures.

In 2005, Tennessee was second in the nation in meth lab seizures with 1,201 found. Under 700 were found in 2006, the first full year of the Meth Free Act. In addition to the change in how ephedrine is sold, the law also set up a hotline for people to report meth crimes at 1-877-TNN-METH.

Given the drop in meth production cases, TBI director Mark Gwyn said the agency will begin concentrating on offenders who smuggle meth in from out of state. Local lawmen say that while the number of labs has decreased, demand is still high for the drug here.