by Patricia Paris
posted October 4, 2008
 Patricia Paris |
I imagined their vehicles had seat covers of fake leopard print and a pair of six-inch plastic dice bobbing from the rear mirrors. Only someone whose speakers were so loud the vibrations would make your ribs ache from half a mile away would believe their sweetie would be impressed with such chintzy flowers. They probably had a rabbit's foot flying from the radio antenna, too.
I guess that doesn't say much for me but anything less than honest here would not only defeat my purpose, it would render those hours of research virtually useless.
How I wish I had been correct in my lofty assessment.
When drugs crept into a recent conversation, my friend remarked about the roses at the convenience stores and how quickly the displays sell out and how quickly they are replaced.
I've learned a few steps but I still ain't no Ginger. Sometimes you have to draw pictures for me, but it finally dawned on me who buys those tacky roses. Realizing there are probably others as naïve as I, and for the sake of the children, I felt I must write about it. So I asked a few more questions to get the slang right and the search for paraphernalia was on.
The local shortage of gasoline coincidentally led me to gas stations and convenience stores off my familiar path. I also found a wealth of information on the internet, enough to know this has been a nationwide problem for years. I was shocked to discover that owners, managers, and clerks of many neighborhood convenience stores are major players in the drug trade.
In my research, the roses were always right up there at the top of the list and 'taste' had nothing to do with it. I now know that most buyers probably have never even seen a rabbits foot. They are addicts. They refer to the roses as 'stems' and they would quickly sell their leopard skin seat covers or their heated Mercedes leather ones, just to pay for them.
In some states, outraged critics and lawmakers have been successful in getting paraphernalia out of the stores. Thanks to their efforts, the innocuous roses displayed next to your favorite team's key chain have officially been deemed 'drug paraphernalia' and district attorneys have successfully lobbied merchants to stop stocking them. It was disappointing to find nothing on the web about Chattanoogans or Tennessee lawmakers who had joined this effort.
In some states, the battle against paraphernalia has been made more difficult by state statutes implying the products must have residue in them when they are seized to support a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. Lawyers and law enforcement officials alike have been unable to resolve the status of 'articles capable of being transformed for drug use but which haven't yet been sold'.
Not all, but many convenience stores in Chattanooga sell this paraphernalia and their owners, managers, and clerks are part of the problem.
It doesn't stop with the roses. Other items that may be used as paraphernalia include:
Hand blown glass pipes are commonly used for smoking marijuana or meth. The open sale of these pipes is most disturbing because there are Federal and State statutes that go into great detail. Glass pipes with no screens are mentioned specifically. Still, all too often, due to a glitch or loophole, convenience stores have immunity.
Turbo lighters are usually disguised as cute little novelty items. They heat up so hot they may be used for a soldering project …or crack… or meth.
Soft drink cans with screw-on tops.
Key chains with hidden compartments.
Blunt wraps are 'rolling' papers that come in a variety of flavors and are often associated with marijuana. Isn't it odd that they sell the rolling papers but not the tobacco?
Various types of clips, such as 'alligator clips, are used as roach clips. And, yes, someone had to explain roach clips to me. They have nothing to do with bug killers.
Postage scales, sometimes sold to weigh 'jewelry', measure in grams. Yeah, right. Do you know anyone who weighs their jewelry?
There's a blatant market out there, readers. And it's perfectly legal. Children can skip right up to the counter and pick any of these items off the shelf.
Many everyday products found at the pharmacy or supermarket also serve dual purposes. Over the counter cold medications spotlighted the news not long ago and even I knew that eyewash products cleared up telltale bloodshot eyes. I was further enlightened this week by a friend who watched a group of teenagers spray themselves and each other down with Febreeze before entering a Krystal! Think about that. It must have been powerful if they thought the odor from their clothing would overpower those onions.
With no way to regulate the sale of baggies, I'm sure that industry does well.
My alarm grew as I saw that many items are deliberately 'cute', such as blunt wraps in cookie dough, champagne, and Kool-aid flavors, to make them more appealing to children. So, while their parents are pumping gas and thinking the price of it is their biggest problem, their kids may be inside, buying a Twinkie and raspberry slurpee….along with their paraphernalia.
We need to raise the awareness. Parents need to be able to identify 'paraphernalia' wherever they might find it, especially in their child's room.
It stands to reason that the availability of paraphernalia directly influences the amount of drugs used, so shouldn't we stop making it so convenient?
This is scary. We need to write our Congressmen, readers.
Senator Bob Corker, 10 West MLK Blvd., 6th Floor, Chattanooga, TN 37402
423-756-2757, Fax: 423-756-5313
Senator Lamar Alexander, 900 Georgia Avenue, #260, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 752-5337, Fax: (423) 752-5342
Representative Zach Wamp, 900 Georgia Avenue, # 126, Chattanooga, TN 37402
(423) 756-2342 fax (423) 756-6613
(Copyright 2008 Patricia Paris
Contact: PatriciaParis@gmail.com
Patricia Paris is an author/columnist from Chattanooga.
Member: Tennessee Mountain Writers, Int'l Women Writers Association, Tennessee Writers Alliance, Chattanooga Writers Guild)
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