Pubdate: Sat, 25 Jun 2005
Source: Chilliwack Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Chilliwack Times
Contact:  http://www.chilliwacktimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1357
Author: Derek Spalding
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

FIGHT METH AT BORDER

The provincial government and Fraser Health officials have different
perspectives on reducing the supply of crystal methamphetamine
ingredients in this province.

Having every pharmacist across the province move several medicines,
used to make the street drug, would be too much to ask, said B.C.'s
new solicitor general, John Les.

Instead, Les plans to lobby the federal government in order to ramp up
border security to stop shipments of large quantities of the same products.

"A serious manufacturer would want a large supply of these
ingredients," he said. "We are approaching the federal government to
try to stop the precursors to this drug from coming in through the
ports."

Mayor of Chilliwack for 13 years, Les commends the community for
coming together in yesterday's methamphetamine forum to educate people
on the dangers of this addictive drug.

"Crystal meth presents a different problem as it is much more
destructive than many other drugs, and they can be made from several
household ingredients," he said.

The MLA said forums like the one in Chilliwack help provide "public
education," which is the best approach to solving the problems this
"horribly destructive" drug can cause.

"Other drugs have an addiction aspect to them," Les added, "but this
is a particularly poisonous drug that can have immediate and permanent
damaging effects on a person's health-especially their mental health.
It basically blows up their brain."

Approximately 20 per cent of the 116 Chilliwack youth who have been
through the Fraser Health addiction services indicated they use
crystal meth. But this number doesn't include the 70 per cent who are
"polydrug users," said Sherry Mumford, manager of FV addiction
services. According to her if you include the kids who use more than
one drug, that percentage will increase.

She agrees with the solicitor general about the need for public
education but would like to see legislation passed that requires
pharmacists to keep certain drugs behind the counter. "It's one thing
for police to bust [meth] labs, and one thing for emergency wards and
addiction services to deal with users, but somewhere in the middle
there has to be a way to make it less lucrative for these people to
produce [meth]," she said.

The B.C. College of Pharmacists-following in the footsteps of
Alberta-have done their part. Last year they asked all pharmacists
across the province, who notice people purchasing large quantities of
precursor meth ingredients to move the medicines behind the counter.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin