Pubdate: Mon, 28 Mar 2005
Source: World-Spectator, The (CN SN)
Page 15
Copyright: 2005 The World-Spectator.
Contact:  http://www.world-spectator.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2914
Author: Amanda Stephenson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

COMMUNITY WARNED ABOUT DANGERS OF CRYSTAL METH

"I don't think it's proper to say if your son or daughter tried this once 
at 14 or 15, they're hooked for life," Sergeant Dave Henry, drug awareness 
coordinator with the RCMP, told the group of concerned community members 
who attended a crystal meth information session on Wednesday, March 23 in 
Moosomin. "But it is highly addictive. If you do start to try this drug 
recreationally, it does lead to cravings and can in turn lead to addiction."

The public information session was organized by the Board of Education of 
the Moosomin School Division, which wanted to increase awareness about a 
drug that is a growing problem in Saskatchewan. Crystal meth produces a 
high that is similar to that produced by cocaine, but the high lasts longer 
and the drug is much cheaper. Henry told Wednesday's crowd that on the 
streets of Regina and Saskatoon, one-tenth of a gram of crystal meth (the 
amount typically used to get one high) is selling for $15 to $25--making it 
easily accessible for young people.

In January, the school board sponsored a presentation by a parent who had 
lost his son to a drug overdose for Moosomin School Division students. That 
presentation was designed to be emotional, in order to convince students to 
think twice before experimenting with drugs. Henry's presentation, on the 
other hand, was designed to give parents and community members hard facts 
about the nature of the drug and its effects.

Crystal meth is a stimulant, Henry told the crowd. It speeds up the 
functions of the body and mind and gives users a euphoric rush. However, it 
also increases blood pressure, heart and breathing rates, and body 
temperature-- which can cause strokes, seizures, and brain damage. Users on 
a binge often don't sleep or eat for days or even weeks, leading to extreme 
weight loss, fatigue, irritability, and depression.

However, it is when users are coming off their binge that they represent 
the most danger to police officers, EMTs, and hospital staff, Henry said. 
Called "tweaking," this stage is when users become prone to hallucinations 
and paranoid, violent behaviors. "At this stage, they represent a danger to 
you because they're not in their right mind," Henry said.

The paranoid aggression many "tweakers" experience sometimes leads them to 
stockpile weapons. "The prevalence of firearms is very common," Henry said. 
"It's worrying to those of us in law enforcement."

Part of the reason crystal meth is becoming more prevalent is it is 
relatively easy to make using a variety of common chemicals and household 
products. "Meth labs" can be set up in apartments, motels, or even 
vehicles. However, the process of combining these chemicals is so dangerous 
that the "cooks" are occasionally found dead-- the victims of fire, 
explosions, or toxic gas poisoning.

Henry gave the crowd a list of signs to look for to determine if someone 
might be a crystal meth addict, including teeth grinding, body odor, 
rotting teeth, and scars and open sores caused by addicts scratching at 
imaginary "bugs" on their skin. He emphasized that crystal meth is not the 
most addictive drug out there--however, if you do become addicted, the 
chances of getting clean are very slim. "Only six per cent of addicts get 
and stay sober--the lowest rate for any drug," Henry said.

Henry told the concerned parents of teenagers at the meeting that so far, 
crystal meth use is more prevalent among 20-somethings than it is among 
teenagers. He also said that Saskatchewan does not yet have the problem 
with the drug that the United States is experiencing. However, crystal meth 
use is spreading, partly because of society's attitudes.

"We live in a society where drug use is pretty normalized," Henry said. 
"It's not as big a taboo as it was 20 or 30 years ago." However, Henry 
wanted the crowd at Wednesday's meeting to know that crystal meth--no 
matter how cheap or readily available it becomes--is nothing to play around 
with.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager