Pubdate: Fri, 30 Mar 2007
Source: Whistler Question (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007, Whistler Printing & Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.whistlerquestion.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1034
Author: Jennifer Miller
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada)

METH DANGERS CHRONICLED

Popular Drug Extremely Addictive, Harmful, U.S. Expert Says

Whistler and Pemberton RCMP officers say the crystal  meth "wave" 
hasn't hit the two towns, but community  members should know what to 
look for so they can  identify methamphetamine labs and dump sites if 
the  deadly drug begins to move in.

Educating yourself on the signs, effects and risks of  meth was the 
key message at an information forum on  Tuesday (March 27) at 
Millennium Place. Presented by  the Whistler Drug and Alcohol 
Committee, the event  included a panel discussion and a presentation 
by Roger  Lake, a Washington state narcotics investigator and  meth consultant.

He said learning about the drug and talking with  children and young 
people about its horrifying effects  will help prepare Whistler to 
fight the drug if it  becomes a problem locally.

"You need to educate yourself so you can knowledgably  educate your 
children," Lake said to the audience of  parents and teenagers.

Lake, who is also the co-author of America's Meth  Prevention 
Cookbook, shared some of the disturbing  stories of psychosis, 
physical injury, death, ruined  lives and child abuse resulting from 
meth use that he  witnessed during his years as a police officer and 
drug  investigator.

Meth is an "extremely volatile drug," Lake said.  "Methamphetamine 
seems to be the worst."

Because it's so quickly addictive and rapidly damages  the brain, 
causing psychotic behaviour, meth is worse  than even cocaine and 
heroin, he said.

Meth is such a powerfully addictive drug that addicts  will choose 
the drug over anything else of importance  to survival or their 
lives. Lake said he talked to  addicts who admitted they would choose 
the drug over  their own children.

The drug has such a hold on addicts' lives that nothing  else drives 
them other than the pursuit of more drugs.

"They're doing it to survive," he said. "Their drive  state says 'all 
you need is the drug' and they'll  do anything."

Meth is one of the cheapest street drugs to buy and all  it takes to 
make crystal is a blender, a funnel and  some other regular kitchen 
items. The process can be  completed in about 30 minutes, Lake said.

With flammable ingredients such as camp fuel, paint  thinner, lithium 
from batteries, acetone, anhydrous  ammonia and starter fluid, the 
"cooking" process is  extremely dangerous and explosions and fires are common.

The chemicals are also extremely hazardous to the  brain. Crystal 
meth use, particularly when it's smoked,  rapidly damages the brain, 
killing portions of it and  resulting in brain scans that are full of 
holes. Brains  of people in their early 20s appear as the brains of 
60- or 70-year-olds who have suffered from minor  strokes.

Addicts' brains "aren't functioning normally," Lake  said, which 
accounts for some of the psychotic,  paranoid behaviour and repeat 
criminal activity.

Though crystal meth use is widespread in Vancouver and  somewhat 
present in Squamish, so far Whistler and  Pemberton have been lucky 
not to see much evidence of  the drug.

"I think there's probably people here that are using  meth," said 
Cst. Rod Gallop from the Whistler RCMP.  "(But) I just think that 
right now it's not a drug of  choice here."

Other drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy are prevalent  in Whistler 
and ecstasy pills can contain up to 60 per  cent meth, he said.

Police officers regularly visit local schools to talk  to students 
about the dangers of drug use. A new  addictions counsellor has been 
hired at the Whistler  Health Care Centre and will start in May.

Visit the Sea to Sky Community Services Society offices  in person or 
online at www.communityservices.bc.ca for  more details on local 
programs. Another online resource  is www.no2meth.ca.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom