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." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin