Pubdate: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 Source: Chatham This Week (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 Chatham This Week Contact: http://www.chathamthisweek.com/contact.php Website: http://www.chathamthisweek.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/719 Author: Karen Robinet Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) METH WARNING ISSUED CKSS Students Hear Of Drug Use Horror The first hit of meth you take won't be your last. That was the message Grade 10 students at Chatham-Kent Secondary School heard Monday during a presentation on the drug which is increasing in use across North America. OPP Const. Aaron McPhail and East Side Pride founder Marjorie Crew both told students that methamphetamine is a highly-addictive drug which hooks first-time users and can have lasting -- and sometimes fatal -- consequences. Students said they were shocked by the graphic photos used, both in McPhail's presentation and on brochures handed out by Crew, to show the physical effects of the drug use. From open sores on the body, to sunken faces, rapid aging and rotting teeth, the effects of meth are devastating and can completely alter a person's appearance in a matter of months. Physical changes Crew said apart from the physical changes, users lose all interest in their appearance, wearing the same clothes every day and completely ignoring personal hygiene. Once all their own money is used up on the drug, they begin stealing from family and others to buy more. When that is no longer an option, Crew said some women are forced to sell off their most precious possession, turning to prostitution to ensure a steady flow of drugs. "A lot of the kids I see on the streets probably sat in the same chairs you're sitting in," Crew told the students. "They didn't plan to become addicted." Crew said addiction knows no social or economic boundaries and can affect anyone. "You're only one choice away," she said. McPhail said meth is not a new drug. In fact, it's been around for a long time and was previously known as speed. While he said it's difficult to know exactly how prevalent the drug is in Chatham-Kent, McPhail said the use of various drugs is cyclical, and "meth is becoming more prominent in use." While drugs like ecstasy, marijuana and crack tend to be more prolific locally, McPhail said meth is a major concern because it can be produced locally. However, he cautioned that labs are "very volatile and they can be explosive." In addition, for each pound of meth manufactured, four to five pounds of toxic waste are created. That waste can end up in area ditches or anywhere else in the community, posing a very real threat to anyone who comes across it. McPhail cautioned anyone finding suspicious material to contact police immediately. Made up of a host of toxic substances, including drain cleaner, lye and battery acid, meth can wreak havoc on a person's nervous system, boost heart rate to potentially fatal levels and increase blood pressure to the point that a stroke can occur. It can also lead to violent psychosis that can re-occur for months or years after an individual stops using it, which in itself is far from an easy process. "Meth is very addictive," said McPhail. "Use it once and you're hooked." He said users quickly develop a tolerance for the drug and find they need progressively larger amounts to get high, which can lead to a fatal overdose. While some meth labs are set up in homes, some people are now cooking it in the trunks of cars or trucks, essentially creating mobile labs. "I can't imagine putting something in my body produced by somebody I don't know with all those (toxins) in it," said McPhail. However, many people aren't that cautious. Statistics show that 12 million Americans have tried meth and 1.5 million are regular users. "Meth addicts are pouring into recovery centres and prisons at an increasing rate," said McPhail, adding that "a new generation of meth babies is choking the foster care system in some states." McPhail said he's glad to see schools like CKSS being pro-active and getting the information out to students. Crew agreed, adding that every fact given to students gives them one more piece of ammunition in the war against drugs. Following the presentation, student Sophia Roth said she and her friends had learned a few things. She called the presentation "really informative." Seeing the photograph of rotting teeth in a brochure was "a real eye-opener," she said. Emily Simmons agreed, and said she hadn't realized the ingredients which make up meth are so toxic. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek