Pubdate: Wed, 20 Feb 2008
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: Frank Peebles
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada)

STUDENTS HEAR MESSAGE ABOUT METH

The only people who can push drugs out of schools are students, 
that's part of the message the Crystal Meth Society of B.C. is 
delivering in Prince George all week.

The society is talking to students at several local schools about 
meth as well as addiction in general. With accurate information 
students can protect themselves and their friends, said society 
president Mark McLaughlin, father of someone who once lived under the 
meth spell.

The presentations will reach more than 2,000 local students by the 
end of the week at PGSS, Kelly Road secondary, Carrier Sekani Family 
Services, Duchess Park secondary, College Heights secondary, the 
storefront alternative program and John McInnis junior secondary. 
There were even more requests for their presentation and they are 
already making plans to return.

"It tells us there is a large and urgent interest in this subject in 
Prince George, although I do not for a moment consider this unique to 
P.G.," said McLaughlin. "I think almost every town in B.C. has a 
similar feeling about meth."

The students learn facts like what meth is, how it is made, what it 
does to a person's body, brain and behaviour, what the symptoms are 
among one's friends, what its addiction looks like, and how to get 
out if you're in, McLaughlin said.

This seems like a perfect time for the presentation considering how 
concerned many in the public were following the teen dance event at 
CN Centre last week that had emergency responders active with drug 
and alcohol incidents.

Some of those who attended said the drug "ecstasy" was prevalent but 
McLaughlin had a sharp warning about that synthetic narcotic.

"In B.C. studies, 70 per cent or more of the ecstasy seized by police 
tests hot for meth, so it is a huge chance that if you're using 
ecstasy you are also unknowingly taking meth. And it is also cut into cocaine."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom