Loretto Police Department in Tennessee posted an ominous warning on Facebook. “Don’t flush your drugs” is their message. If you thought that “Deeznutz” the attack squirrel was a wild story, how about meth-gators?

You may remember Deeznutz. Alabama police say they were warned about a man feeding his pet squirrel methamphetamines to make it an attack squirrel. The story goes that the squirrel was not tested for drugs when the man was arrested and it was released. If you think a meth-fueled rodent sounds bad, there is a more troubling development. Maybe.

Tennessee police arrested a suspected drug dealer Saturday. He was in the process of flushing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia down his toilet to get rid of the evidence.

Once police entered Perry’s home, officers found him trying to flush the meth and several items of paraphernalia down his toilet. Andy Perry was arrested after police found 12 grams of meth, 24 fluid ounces of liquid meth, and several paraphernalia items inside the house.

He was charged drug possession with intent for resale, possession of drug paraphernalia, and tampering with evidence

The Loretto Police Department used its Facebook page to deliver a public service announcement after the drug bust on the dangers of contaminating the local water supply with drugs. No one wants methed-up animals.

“This Folks…please don’t flush your drugs m’kay (sic). When you send something down the sewer pipe it ends up in our retention ponds for processing before it is sent down stream. Now our sewer guys take great pride in releasing water that is cleaner than what is in the creek, but they are not really prepared for meth.”

“Ducks, Geese, and other fowl frequent our treatment ponds and we shudder to think what one all hyped up on meth would do. Furthermore, if it made it far enough we could create meth-gators in Shoal Creek and the Tennessee River down in North Alabama. They’ve had enough methed up animals the past few weeks without our help. So, if you need to dispose of your drugs just give us a call and we will make sure they are disposed of in the proper way.”

It is a light-hearted kind of warning but it appeals to common sense. Water in the sewer system ends up in retention ponds as a part of the purification process. Wildlife visits the retention ponds. You see the point. I don’t know the alligator population numbers for Shoal Creek and the Tennessee River but apparently, the police do. Hence, the tongue in cheek warning. The town is five miles from the state line with Alabama.

This was a good opportunity to remind residents of proper disposal of drugs. Loretto police asked residents to just bring in drugs, including prescription medications, to the police department and they can take care of it. Many communities, like my own, have yearly or semi-yearly collection days to help with the proper disposal of drugs. Flushed pharmaceuticals can end up in the drinking water supply.

You’ve been warned. No one wants meth-gators. Drugged up rodents are bad enough – looking at you, Deeznutz. Kudos to the Loretto police for taking a serious subject and bringing some levity to it. We can all use more humor in our lives.

You can listen to Police Chief Bobby Joe Killan in an interview talking about having fun with the story.

It was a pleasure talking to Chief Bobby Joe Killan of the Loretto Police Department in TN about Meth Gators! He sets the record straight here! @wrko680 #vbinthemiddle pic.twitter.com/IlaAZ6a9N3

— Producer Lightning (@LightningMarita) July 16, 2019