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