Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jun 2005
Source: Salmon Arm Observer (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Salmon Arm Observer
Contact:  http://www.saobserver.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1407

WAR ON CRYSTAL METH NEEDS RECRUITS

While it may only be an unproven allegation, one mother's concern over
crystal meth use in our community is certainly not unfounded. Her claims of
young children being exposed to the drug on a local school bus is
frightening to any parent.

And they should be a wake-up call to this community.

There is no doubt the drug that is proving popular on the streets of other
places, from the cities of Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops to small
neighbouring towns like Barriere, is being used here. There have been
presentations in local schools warning of the dangers of a drug which is
cheap, highly addictive and can be made from readily accessible products.

Assembling some of the ingredients is scary in itself. The idea that
ingesting anything made from lye, methyl hydrate and camp fuel cannot be
severely harmful is utterly ridiculous. Crystal meth is nothing but poison
and the consequences of taking it are severe. Permanent brain damage or
death are among the worst outcomes.

Canada's crystal meth problem is the worst in British Columbia. The number
of deaths here related to methamphetamine has risen from three in 2000 to 33
in 2004. Most of those deaths have been drug overdoses or car accidents in
which the driver was high on meth. About 190,000 people in British Columbia
have tried the drug crystal methamphetamine in the past year, according to a
recent provincial study.

For an investment of about $150, people running home labs can produce enough
of the drug to make $10,000 when it's sold on the street. Because it is both
cheap and easily available, crystal meth has replaced many of the other
drugs that such young people were using in the past.

The Observer had no problem in obtaining a vast majority of the ingredients
needed to cook" some meth. Programs alerting merchants to suspicious
purchases are beginning to emerge, but need to be quickly acted upon to help
police control this growing problem. As SASS principal Greg Kitchen pointed
out, a more intensive education campaign is also needed to make young people
aware of the terrific threat taking crystal meth poses to their health and
their future.

Users say they can never recreate the first crystal meth high - they simply
spend the rest of their time trying to achieve the euphoria that can only be
felt once. The key now is to unite many of the groups in our community, from
police, to educators, to health-care workers and retail salespeople in
making sure none of Salmon Arm's young people get that first high - or the
addiction that follows.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Josh