Pubdate: Wed, 16 May 2007 Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329 Author: Jon Willing, Sun Media Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) METH ON LANARK STREETS? Swamped Counsellors Fear Highly Addictive Drug Has Made Its Way Into Eastern Ontario It's the worst possible time for Lanark County to see crystal meth creep into its communities. Addiction services are stretched to their limits and the local Children's Aid Society is swamped with cases of drug-hooked parents. Professionals working with drug addicts say there's no doubt crystal meth -- the drug touted as the next scourge with addictive results that will trump those presented by crack cocaine -- is in the county, possibly being mixed into cocaine. Suzanne Geoffrion, executive director of the Lanark County Children's Aid Society (CAS), says the agency's caseload has increased mainly because of addiction problems, and while there are rumblings that crystal meth is on the streets, the agency has no concrete proof the drug has been in the hands of any parents it deals with. Cocaine, marijuana and alcohol continue to be the main substances linked to addictions the CAS sees, Geoffrion said. But Geoffrion said it isn't necessarily the number of children in the agency's care that makes the situation so dire. She said the most disturbing trend is the age of the children coming into care. KIDS UNDER 6 Geoffrion said the local CAS is seeing more kids under six, a relatively new phenomenon in recent years that has direct connections to addiction problems at home. There are nearly 140 kids currently in care of the Lanark CAS. Geoffrion said Lanark County desperately needs more addiction resources and treatment services. David North couldn't agree more. North is the executive director of TriCounty Addiction Services, which has only four addiction counsellors for Lanark and Leeds and Grenville counties. There's a "gross overlap" between the work TriCounty and Lanark CAS do in the communities, North explained. He said there was a "blip" about three months ago when five or six people were reporting crystal meth incidents. "There's no question it's here," he said. "The kids on the street say that." North estimates his counsellors see about 500 patients a year, but he figures the same number of people are being missed because of a lack of resources. FUNDING SHORTFALL The province needs to recognize that addiction programs are drastically underfunded, North said. Det. Sgt. Paul Henry, who heads the OPP's drug squad in the Ottawa area, said rumours have suggested some of the cocaine sold on Lanark County streets is laced with crystal meth, but officers have not verified the speculation. Scary as it is, Henry said it wouldn't be completely surprising if it was true because crystal meth is more addictive than cocaine. Police have not made any crystal meth seizures in the county, but they have been saying for years that it's only a matter of time before the drug arrives in Eastern Ontario. "Just because we don't see it doesn't mean it's not out there," Henry said. Henry said powder cocaine and crack cocaine are the main concerns for drug cops in Lanark. - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath