By Adam Ghassemi
LAVERGNE, Tenn. – It's a case that's captivated the nation. A homeless Miami man had part of his face eaten off last month by a naked man believed to be high on bath salts.
"That lets you know that we have a huge problem in our nation," TN ZERO founder Kathy Hines who is waging a war on synthetic drugs. "We're going to do everything we can to get this stuff off the streets."
Her idea is to install receptacles around the county to give people a place to get rid of the drugs. Hines wants the receptacles in police department lobbies and schools in Rutherford and Davidson counties.
Earlier this year, LaVergne police uncovered a hundred packets being sold from a store's hidden compartment. It's just one of dozens of cases that keep happening in Tennessee.
"They better not do business like this in Rutherford County. We're going to run them out of here, and charge them with a felony," said Rep. Mike Sparks of Smyrna whose own son is overcoming a synthetic drug addiction.
Sparks says new state laws to stop synthetic drugs won't be enough if the public doesn't do their part. "Don't shop them. Don't spend your money there. These folks are criminals. They're criminals. Plain and simple they're criminals," he said.
They worry if something doesn't change to keep the drugs off the streets scenes like what happened in Miami could keep happening again and again.
"We have a national crisis. It is no longer an isolated incident. It is something that is taking over the country, and we as a nation have to stand up and say enough is enough," Hines said.
The idea still has to be ironed out, but organizers believe the program is the first of its kind specifically geared at synthetic drugs.
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