Pubdate: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 Source: Langley Advance (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc. Contact: http://www.langleyadvance.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1248 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) DRUG ADDICTION: FORUM TO TACKLE CRYSTAL METH Langley Township is joining the RCMP, Langley School District, businesses, and other members of the community to educate the public about crystal meth. It takes knowledge, cooperation, and a well thought out strategy to successfully fight an enemy. And in the war against drugs, standing together and being armed with information is a major step towards taking control. On Wednesday evening, June 28, a Langley Community Forum will be held on crystal meth, a highly addictive, easily available drug that is ruining lives. The drug, according to experts, is taking a destructive toll on individuals, families, and the community, as more and more people - especially youth - become hooked on meth, and many resort to crime to get the money needed to fund their addiction. The free community forum is being hosted by the Langley Township Community Safety Commission, a multi-jurisdictional committee which includes members of the Langley RCMP, Langley School District, provincial representatives, and community organizations. The event is sponsored by the Community Methamphetamine Response Funding Program. "The Community Safety Commission has been working on this issue for some time," said CSC chair and Township Councillor Mel Kositsky. "We decided to put together an information evening to create awareness and give people a chance to learn more about local initiatives." "It's important that the business community understand the magnitude of the drug, and the problems facing police," Kositsky said. "This event is also for parents, for anybody in the community who has heard about the crystal meth problem but has no information about it." The Community Forum will be held at the Fraser River Presentation Centre, on the fourth floor of the Langley Township Civic Facility, at 20338 - 65th Ave. The event will start at 6:30 p.m., when guests will be able to peruse displays set up in the lobby by community organizations. The forum will run from 7 to 9 p.m. Superintendent Janice Armstrong, Officer in Charge of the Langley RCMP detachment, and Sgt. Scott Rintoul, acting provincial coordinator of the RCMP Drug and Organized Crime Awareness Service, will discuss the police's Drug Awareness Program. Langley School District's Drug Education Program will be outlined by School District #35's Barry MacDonald, and guest speaker Kerry Jackson of 2020 Parenting will share how she lost her son to crystal meth, and speak on the vulnerabilities that lead youth to need and want to use drugs and alcohol in the first place. Cold As Ice, a new DVD created by Fraser Health, will also be shown during the forum. The half-hour DVD features a number of local residents, including Langley City Deputy Fire Chief Bruce Dundas. Cold As Ice provides a comprehensive snapshot of the crystal meth phenomena and explores the impact of the drug on the user, the family, and the community. A panel discussion and open forum will conclude the evening. The audience will be encouraged to ask questions of panel members who will include Rintoul, Langley Youth and Family Service counsellor Lee Davidson, University College of the Fraser Valley Substance Abuse Program instructor Harald Urstad, and Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce president Bev Dornan. The goal of the community forum is to help develop educational strategies, Kositsky said, and to create an action plan that will allow the community to respond to the "rapidly growing destructive issue." The event is a continuation of "all the good work" that has already been done in the community to address the crystal meth problem, and will be the first of many forums to be held over the next year. "We want people armed with information and aware of the resources available," Kositsky said. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek