Pubdate: Fri, 22 Jun 2007
Source: Penticton Western (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Penticton Western
Contact:  http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1310
Author: Tracy Clark
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada)

CITY SIGNS ON TO DELIVER MESSAGE ON METH

The continual focus Penticton is placing on crystal meth is working, say RCMP.

"Communities know a lot more about it and are looking for it," said 
Staff-Sgt. Kurt Lozinski, from the South Okanagan RCMP after the city 
unveiled the no2meth decals that had been placed on city and school 
district vehicles, part of the second phase of its no2meth campaign 
at Cherry Lane shopping centre Wednesday. "This is working and it's 
positive. Everybody is getting involved."

According to Penticton RCMP's drug section, even the hard-core drug 
users are staying away from meth because of its reputation as a 
"dirty drug." As a result, however, Lozinski said dealers are 
marketing more aggressively to teens and youth.

"I guess our fear is that crystal meth is still targeting toward the 
younger generation and if we can get a hold of those guys to stop 
listening to it, then we don't have to worry about the others," he said.

Newest on the market is packaging crystal meth to look like Pixie 
Stix -- a flavoured sugar stick popular with youth. It is for this 
reason that the Okanagan-Skaha school district has got on board with 
the no2meth campaign and also applied the decals to their vehicles.

Solicitor General John Les, who was at Cherry Lane for Wednesday's 
campaign kickoff, praised the city for its multi-agency approach to 
creating awareness about the drug.

"Information is really really important, information in the hands of 
parents, children, teachers and care givers," he said. "Everybody 
needs to understand and be aware of the symptoms and what can evolve 
out of using crystal meth."

Les said the detrimental impacts of the drug are what prompted the 
province to commit $7 million to fund new initiatives to fight the 
destructive drug in 2005.

"I don't apologize at all for taking a few million dollars to help 
raise the awareness level making sure that people understand what a 
risk this is and how we must deal with it," he said. "You only once 
need to meet somebody -- a young person, who became addicted to 
crystal meth and then became psychotic as a result and will never be 
better again -- to convince you that something needs to be done to 
keep this away from kids."

Penticton resident Ed Lekei knows only too well the effects crystal 
meth can have on a family. Lekei's grandson Tyler was in the news 
recently after committing suicide at his Delta home. The 23-year-old 
suffered from schizophrenia, something his grandfather said was 
diagnosed following the young man's abuse of both marijuana and 
crystal meth during his teen years.

Lekei said he wanted to come to Wednesday's no2meth campaign kick off 
to applaud both the city's and province's efforts to provide 
awareness about the drug.

"Anything that can happen to make children, people, students aware 
that, hey its going to kill you eventually," he said. "It doesn't 
matter if you're male or female, rich or poor, dumb or smart, 
nothing. It's got no boundaries, none. Everybody gets a turn."

Penticton is the second B.C. city to promote the program. Surrey 
started the no2meth campaign earlier this month and already has so 
much "positive feedback" that they are looking at funding their own 
prevention programs, said Sander.

In Penticton, no2meth is the second half of an awareness campaign 
that started last year with public information sessions at Cleland 
Community Theatre.

The no2meth decals on city and school district trucks displays both 
the province's website , where parents, teachers and youth can find 
information about the drug, as well as alcohol and drug information 
and a referral line for anyone who suspects someone using crystal 
meth or for users themselves.

Solicitor General John Les (right) speaks with Penticton resident Ed 
Lekei during Wednesday's launch of the city's no2meth campaign.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom