Pubdate: Wed, 24 May 2006 Source: Red Deer Express (CN AB) Copyright: 2006 Red Deer Express Contact: http://www.reddeerexpress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2920 Author: Johnnie Bachusky Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada) METH A PROBLEM? YES, BUT SO IS BOOZE By now we all know crystal meth is a menace to society, or at least it will become one if we don't start listening and watching what is unfolding in the United States. The current Premier's Task Force on Crystal Meth has the advantage of looking elsewhere to aid its recommendations when the final report comes out in September. Yes, there has been some trouble spots in Alberta -- Drayton Valley, Edson and Hinton -- but nothing like the epidemic that has hit the American states of Colorado, California and the state of Washington. The task force also has the good fortune of riding on the coattails of initiatives made by the Alberta College of Pharmacists. In 2004, the college announced pharmacies across the province were voluntarily restricting access to ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, two of the main ingredients used to produce crystal meth. The Alberta government then followed that lead last December with an order-in-council that requires all single-entity pseudoephedrine products be moved behind the counter or in the dispensaries of pharmacies across the province. This is good news, and of course proactive on the part of the college. The provincial government, to give it credit, is moving on meth before an epidemic takes hold. That's more good news. But one has to wonder whether the Tories have once again put their blinders on when it comes to an even bigger problem -- alcohol addiction. David Horricks, executive director of Parkland Youth Homes in Red Deer, said his organization is certainly aware of the growing crystal meth threat but added it should be put in perspective when one looks at the longstanding problems created by alcohol. "Crystal meth proportionate to alcohol abuse is a drop in the bucket," said Horricks, whose organization's mandate is to provide treatment services -- including residential -- for troubled young people. "I think we have missed the point by not paying attention to that (alcohol) as society's fundamental problem." The statistics would certainly support Horricks' concern. The Canadian Addiction Survey, released by Health Canada in 2004, showed that 20.2% of 13,909 respondents nation-wide admitted to heavy monthly drinking. That was up slightly in Alberta where 21% of 2,401 survey respondents admitted to heavy monthly drinking. As well, 32.7% of respondents said they had been harmed by alcohol drinkers over the previous year. The survey did not specifically mention crystal meth, which is not surprising because government agencies and social service groups are now only beginning to study meth in a separate category of its own. However, the survey polled Canadians on ecstasy, which Alberta RCMP now says is laced with up to 75% meth. Only 4.1% of Canadians participating in the survey said they had used ecstasy. It went up to 5.1% in Alberta. It must be kept in mind that meth users tend to be highly secretive and paranoid. Last week, at the provincial task force's Red Deer meeting, some teens who had past experiences with meth said many young people opt not to tell the truth about meth use in surveys because they fear repercussions if their personal drug history gets in the wrong hands. As well, the meth sub-culture tends to live in shadows, and extracting any reliable statistical data on them and their using patterns presents a huge challenge. However, the Canadian Addiction Survey figures are still staggering, and even with more reliable meth figures, alcohol would still undoubtedly be the number one addiction issue by a wide margin in Canada and Alberta. Meanwhile, Horricks also believes that many people have an erroneous notion that marijuana is the "gateway" drug to harder illegal substances. "You don't try crystal meth from pot," he said. "You try crystal meth from being drunk and stupid." There is no doubt the Alberta government is fully aware of the ongoing surveys that clearly show alcohol to be an ongoing serious social problem. But then again there is a lot of revenue to be made with vices in this province. In fact billions of dollars worth, thanks to booze and gambling. If we move too harshly against alcohol, like governments did in the prohibition years, we'd rip out a huge piston from the province's great big economic engine. It can't even be contemplated that any government in this country would dare implement drastic measures on alcohol, despite ongoing horrendous numbers of road fatalities, assaults, murders, and domestic violence cases. We are destined to just suck it up, and focus our attention on something that is easy to become enraged about -- crystal meth. Yes, that rage is justified. Meth addiction is serious, serious business, and it has to be addressed. But if the provincial government is going to paint itself as the good guys on a war against crystal meth, it makes sense they at least give more than just lip service to alcohol addiction. These damn surveys can't always be wrong, or ignored. The Jonathan Clatter Award of Merit: To Barry Litun, deputy superintendent of Red Deer Public Schools. Litun has just been appointed the new Superintendent of Schools for the Lethbridge Public School District No. 51. He starts his new job in August. Litun has been hugely popular with school kids in Red Deer. Before his deputy superintendent appointment locally three years ago, he was at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School for 10 years as principal and vice principle. "Our own children have grown up during the time we have spent in Red Deer, and their current and future successes will always be traced back to the guidance and opportunities they were afforded in the public school system and in the community," said Litun. Always a supremely classy guy, Litun will certainly be missed by many, many people in Red Deer. Best of luck Barry. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman