Pubdate: Mon, 31 Dec 2007
Source: London Free Press (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 The London Free Press
Contact: http://www.lfpress.com/cgi-bin/comments.cgi?c=letters_editor
Website: http://www.lfpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/243
Author: Joe Belanger
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada)

TASK FORCE IS BATTLING METH IN PERTH COUNTY

Perth County -- the "meth capital" of Southwestern Ontario -- is 
battling the bad rap with a variety of new initiatives financed by 
the province.

And a task force is still looking for ideas to curb the problem 
that's plagued the county.

"I'm not naive enough to think we're going to eradicate the problem," 
said Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson, co-chair of the task force.

"We are having some good success, but the problem won't ever be gone 
completely."

Half of a $1-million provincial grant has already been used to 
finance a variety of new programs and the task force is looking to 
spend the balance in the new year.

The money arrived in 2005 after 12 of 19 methamphetamine labs raided 
by police in the region were found in Perth.

The province decided the task force would oversee a pilot project to 
evaluate different approaches to curb the problem.

"We wanted to be in the forefront by trying to deal with the issue 
and be proactive," said Mathieson.

"Along the way we've seen a drop in the number of busts, possession 
and trafficking charges and the petty crimes committed by addicts 
have also gone down."

New programs are in place, such as peer mentoring at schools, 
community centres and the courts.

For instance, a restorative-justice program sees those convicted of 
related offences given an opportunity to go through assessment and 
rehabilitation programs and their success taken into consideration 
when sentenced.

Applications for the last round of program proposals close Feb. 1 and 
should be forwarded to the Perth District Health Unit.

The task force, with 35 to 40 members, includes representatives from 
police, health care, social agencies, school boards, the Crown 
Attorney's office and drug experts, such as counsellors.

They will evaluate the programs and prepare a final report for the 
province by March 2009.

The proliferation of methamphetamine across rural North America has 
caused concern among law enforcement agencies.

Although it's been around since the 1970s, it has become more common 
mostly due to easy access to recipes found on the internet.

The key ingredient is ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, a stimulant 
related to the amphetamine family. Other ingredients are used to 
alter that one ingredient, which is found in cough medicine and some 
common drugs. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake