Pubdate: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 Source: Maple Ridge Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc Contact: http://www.mrtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1372 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n269/a11.html Author: Len Garis SCHOOL KIDS DOING METH Editor: Re: Councillor says teens picked on in meth debate, TIMES, March 3, 2006 "Meth addicts aren't roaming schoolyards or feeding their habits between classes," said Tolchard. "Those numbers do not bear out." I am very concerned and disappointed that this statement has seen print; you have taken comments that are at best anecdotal and applied them to a serious problem with out any verification of fact. Tolchard's message is counter to the facts. The message is irresponsible. I blame The TIMES for deflating what has the makings for a social epidemic while not pressing for more sources on the subject. Recent statistics on drug use in high schools would support this expressed concern. The following excerpts are taken from a study conducted by the International Centre for Urban Research Studies, University College of the Fraser Valley, dated September, 2005 - Clandestine Drug Labs In British Columbia. The Institute for Safe Schools for British Columbia survey of 13,176 high school students from three separate school districts in the province suggests that at least eight per cent of high school students used crystal meth during the 2004/05 school year (Waterhouse and Dow, 2005). Further, almost all of these students report having used the drug on school property during the school year, and virtually half of them report using on school property more than once per week (Waterhouse and Dow, 2005). As well, to this eight per cent figure should be added some unknown percentage of high school students who have used ecstasy in the last year without knowing that it was likely adulterated with methamphetamine. In any case, the level of admitted use among high school students in British Columbia as suggested through the Institute for Safe Schools Survey for B.C. would appear to be even higher than is the case among high school students elsewhere in Canada (see for example the report of Nordeste, 2004). Len Garis Pitt Meadows - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath