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
Author: Sam Cooper
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH MAKING MOVE INTO AREA SHUSWAP

Shock waves hit a local parent when a Grade 3 student told her crystal
meth is visibly present on a Salmon Arm school bus.

The woman, who called Salmon Arm Secondary School and the RCMP to
inform them, asked to remain nameless for fear of retribution against
her son.

The child is nine years old and she asked me 'What is crystal meth?'
because some older students had it on the bus," said the woman, who
speaks regularly with students in her car pool. It's common knowledge
among the Grade 11's that crystal meth is circulating at school and on
the bus."

SASS principal Greg Kitchen verified his office took two calls from
the woman, and said the student accused of having meth on the bus is
from another local school, which has been informed of the situation.

We haven't confiscated any meth yet, this accusation is a new one to
us," Kitchen said. Any information we get, we need to track down and
see if it's true."

But information on the drug is in short supply - RCMP Staff-Sgt. Dave
Williams said police aren't sure whether crystal meth is produced locally.

We don't know one way or another right now," Williams said, But you
can set up a meth lab in your garage; the components are relatively
easy to get."

Despite the availability of household products used to produce crystal
meth, local retailers surveyed had no training in place to recognize
suspicious patterns of purchase.

The RCMP hasn't talked to us yet, there is nothing formal we have set
up now," said David Robertson, of the Pharmasave on Hudson St. The
pharmacist added he'd yet to notice anyone purchasing more than a few
boxes of the cold medicines used in crystal meth production.

Jeremy Osborne, front store manager at Shoppers Drug Mart in
Piccadilly Mall also said no one has spoken to his store about the
issue.

If it was brought to our attention, we'd probably look into it,"
Osborne said. Usually these things are done from the head office of
our national chain."

One of the most difficult ingredients for meth cooks to get hold of is
iodine. But meth cooking Web sites suggest rather than visiting many
pharmacies and buying just a few bottles at a time, to avoid
suspicion, it can be purchased in relatively large quantities at farm
supply stores in the form of iodine tincture, commonly used to heal
animal's wounds.

Both Unifeed in Armstrong and Salmon Arm's Farm and Garden Place carry
forms of iodine, and neither has a warning system in place yet.

Gerry Harrington of the Meth Watch Coalition, a national association
based in Ottawa which trains retailers to recognize and report
suspicious purchases to police, says a recent conference of Western
health ministers concluded most of the Canadian meth supply still
comes from organized crime super-labs, but the danger of small labs
using household products to make meth is creeping up in rural
communities like Salmon Arm.

Harrington says America's meth epidemic is about seven years ahead of
Canada, which gives us the chance to learn, and fight the problem
proactively. According to Harrington, in 2003, 39 super-labs were
busted in Canada, while 10,000, mostly 'Ma and Pa' mini-labs, were
busted in the U.S.

Mini-labs are run by addicts themselves," Harrington said. The
toxicity of chemicals is a problem, and they are often found because
the damn houses blow-up."

While Meth Watch was initiated to work directly with retailing
franchises, Harrington says its being pushed from the grassroots now.

What has spontaneously happened is community groups are getting
involved. The Rotarians jumped on our program in Maple Ridge, and we
have one in Kamloops too."

Williams and Harrington both cautioned against being too optimistic
about fighting meth supply, and along with Kitchen, they stressed that
education must quell demand, or a generation of children could be
ravaged by the poisonous drug.

Even heroin doesn't eat people up as quick as meth," Harrington said.
The message was pervasive in the '70s. You didn't get any lower than a
speed freak, and I think our kids have to learn that message again."

Kitchen said SASS has stepped up its anti-meth education, but students
need to hear the message from peers too.

Currently there are a number of people who speak on drunk driving,
like Kevin Brooks [who spoke at SASS this year]. But we don't
currently have those types of individuals for this crystal meth
problem, and we're looking for them."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin