Tennessee police fear 'meth-gators', beg locals to avoid flushing drugs

A Tennessee police department has pleaded to its residents to avoid flushing drugs down the toilet for fear of upsetting, or enraging, the local wildlife.

Police from Loretto, Tennessee, warned that the consequences of people flushing drugs like methamphetamine may include the creation of "meth-gators" in Alabama.

In a Facebook post, which has since been deleted, the department reportedly said: "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 downstream. 

"Ducks, geese, and other fowl frequent our treatment ponds and we shudder to think what one all hyped up on meth would do."

The post then speculated on what could happen if the flushed drugs flowed downstream far enough to reach alligator territory.

"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."

The "methed up animals" the post referred to include a squirrel that was allegedly fed meth by a man in order to keep it aggressive to use as an "attack squirrel".

Social media has been quick to make fun of the idea of drugged-up alligators.

"Um, if this isn't the best name for either a gutter-punk or rockabilly band, I dunno what is: Alice and the Meth Gators," one Twitter user posted.

"Update: Proud to announce that I'll be writing and directing METHGATORS VS. CRACKODILES, coming Summer 2021 to the SYFY channel," another addd.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, police announced in April that testing of wastewater systems revealed Kiwis consumed around 16kg of meth each week between November 2018 and January 2019.

No warnings have been issued by police around the possible impact of this drug-waste on local wildlife, though one can only hope we can all avoid encountering meth-tuis or pukekos.     

Newshub.