Pubdate: Mon, 19 Sep 2005
Source: Coquitlam Now, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005Lower Mainland Publishing Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.thenownews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1340
Author: Jennifer Saltman, Staff Reporter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

POCO BUSINESSES SIGNING UP FOR CITY'S METH WATCH

A plan to curb the theft and suspicious sales of common household
products used to manufacture crystal methamphetamines seems to be
working in Port Coquitlam.

Twenty local businesses are actively participating in the Meth Watch
Program, and have been since teams went around the city handing out
decals and information to businesses in late June.

"We've had nothing but positive feedback," said Port Coquitlam
community policing manager Jodie McNeice.

McNeice made a presentation to the City of Port Coquitlam's protective
services committee Thursday morning to update committee members on the
program's progress.

She said that, so far, all participating businesses have implemented
the program and trained their employees.

Participating retailers strategically post Meth Watch signs on their
storefronts. Using a specially developed web-learning portal, they
train their employees to recognize suspicious transactions, without
confronting or identifying the customer, and to contact law
enforcement when these take place.

But it's not just about handing out stickers and leaving a program to
follow. McNeice said she and other community policing partners have
followed up with businesses and received feedback and given advice.

"It's not that difficult, it's just public awareness really," she
says. "It's going really well, I think."

McNeice said that Jim Fenton, whose family runs the Pharmasave on
Coast Meridian Road, received a call from the chief at the College of
Pharmacists of B.C. commending him and his pharmacy for leading the
way for other pharmacies.

Other businesses, she said, have noticed a drop in "those customers"
coming into their stores.

Now that the Meth Watch program is in full swing, the city isn't
planning to just sit back and relax.

Continuing to look at meth issues, the city is setting up a group of
task forces with representatives from law enforcement, education and
addiction services to discuss the limitations of the systems they deal
with and what needs to be changed.

Meth is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that affects the
central nervous system, and is a synthetic drug produced or sold as
pills, capsules or powder that can be smoked, snorted, injected or
swallowed.

It damages the nervous system and use can cause psychosis, stroke,
dangerously high body temperature and irregular heartbeat.
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