Pubdate: Wed, 16 Nov 2005
Source: Midland Mirror (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Midland Mirror
Contact:  http://www.simcoe.com/sc/midland/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2211
Author: Kim Goggins, The Mirror

METH EASY TO MAKE, LUCRATIVE TO SELL

Problems Drug Creates Hard To Solve

Broken friendships, torn families, fractured communities and the 
similar stories that trail behind are all too familiar to Tammy 
Allan, a minister at Hinton United Church in Alberta.

Hinton is an industry-based town of about 10,000 people, about three 
hours southwest of Edmonton, where jobs at pulp and paper mills, and 
in the coal mining and oil and gas industries, come with long hours, 
high rates of pay and the propensity to turn to drugs.

"It's a resource-based economy with lots of money and shift work and 
hey, if I take this drug and it keeps me awake I can take an extra 
shift or two," says Allan. Click Here!

"Now they're running dry camps and they do drug and alcohol testing, 
but when they get out of camp, it's party time."

Between 1998 and 2003, arrests for crystal meth trafficking in 
Alberta jumped from 13 to 109 and at the same time, possession 
arrests increased from 21 to 252 - much of this happening in the small town.

Also known as speed, crystal, ice, jib and crank, crystal meth can be 
made using ingredients found in a pharmacy, hardware store or farm 
supply store and can be produced almost anywhere.

"You can cook it in your trunk, in a hotel room. You can cook it in 
your kitchen or bathroom," says Allan. "It can be locally produced 
and depending on the demand, one hit of meth will go for $10 to $20."

She rhymes off the information with the ease of a dealer. Her 
expertise has come out of necessity, she says.

She has watched the insidious drug undermine her congregation and 
community, stood helplessly by while churches and homes were being 
vandalized by people trying to support their addiction, and assisted 
older Hinton residents who are raising their grandchildren because 
having that drug became more important to their children than having 
food on the table.

However, rather than stay powerless, the residents of Hinton decided 
to strike back.

The Hinton Community Drug Action Committee was formed in February, 
2003 with people from provincial ministries, social agencies, 
churches, RCMP, the Alberta Alcohol Abuse Commission, schools and 
interested residents.

The committee developed a four-step action plan that called for a 
major public awareness campaign, and targeted prevention programs, 
more coordinated law enforcement protocols and improved access to 
detoxification centres.

"Within a few months, we did a door-to-door community campaign, not 
asking for money, just educating people and letting them know that 
there was a coalition working," says Allan.

As a result of building awareness of what the characteristics of meth 
use are, pharmacists now keep over-the-counter medication such as 
Sudafed behind the counter and will call police if someone wants to 
purchase an extraordinary amount. Storeowners that carry items like 
battery acid, lye (sodium hydroxide), and other ingredients that 
could be used, pay attention to who is purchasing large amounts. And 
residents are watching neighbourhoods more closely.

While she admits the drug is still a problem - particularly for those 
between 19 and 25 - she says the positive side of it has been the 
community banding together.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman