Meth Task Force

The Catoosa County Meth Task Force re-vamps efforts to clear the drug out of the county.
The task force will hold open forums to get out into the community to educate the public.
They will divide the county into four sections in order to have smaller groups.
And they hope to get into the classrooms to teach school kids the dangers of the drug.
This last approach may be more important now than ever before.

Nationwide, drug dealers try to stay one step ahead by flavoring the drug like candy, all to attract younger and younger addicts everyday.
Candy, powdered drink sweetener, even chocolate -- common household objects and all tools of the meth trade nowadays...anything to hook your children on the deadly drug.

Vanita Hullander, Meth Task Force Chair
 "The younger children, they're more impressionable."

More impressionable and carry a longer addiction life.  Vanita Hullander with the Meth Task Force says children can tolerate the effects of the drug longer than an adult -- meaning once a dealer gets a child hooked on candy flavored meth they have a repeat customer.

Hullander
 "There again if you make meth more pleasant and appealing looking as we were talking about there's strawberry quik, strawberry ice that's out...I haven't seen any and I'm not aware that there's any in this county."

And even though the meth candy surge has not reached Catoosa County, it still unsettles parents and grandparents like David Welch.

David Welch, Grandparent
 "Meth is probably one of the worst there is.  You get hooked, you don't get off of it I mean there's always an addiction to it, no matter what you do."

And that's exactly what meth makers count on as they target your kids. 

Hullander
"You get them addicted you can turn around and have them start selling your product to their friends."

Welch
"Know that when they go to school that somebody could be trying to give them... It ain't right."

Hullander says tactics like flavoring meth are just another reason the task force is increasing their efforts.
She says just because the meth problem is not as talked about as it once was, doesn't mean it doesn't still exist.