Gov. Bill Haslam
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has rolled out a comprehensive statewide campaign designed to inform Tennesseans about the consequences of violating the “I Hate Meth Act,” which took effect on July 1, 2011. The announcement took place in coordination with the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association meeting in Nashville.
“The goal of this campaign is to communicate the harsh consequences of violating our anti-meth law,” Haslam said. “We want to deter people from making and using meth in our state, which will save lives, protect children, save taxpayer dollars, and make Tennessee safer overall.”
The communications campaign targets the counties in Tennessee where there have been the highest number of children removed from homes due to meth-related incidents and the greatest number of meth lab seizures. In 2011, the Department of Children’s Services removed 321 children from their parents’ custody due to meth use or manufacturing. Law enforcement officials also seized 1,687 meth labs in Tennessee last year, the second highest number in the nation, according to the Tennessee Meth Task Force.
The governor also announced $750,000 in his budget amendment for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to assist local governments with training and equipment costs related to meth clean-up. Partners in the effort include the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Department of Children’s Services, Tennessee Meth Task Force, Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association, Tennessee Pharmacists Association, and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.
