Pubdate: Tue, 21 Oct 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)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

CRYSTAL METH SOCIETY BRINGS MESSAGE TO 1,170 KIDS IN NORTH

Some Of The Smallest And Most Rural Schools In The Region Just Got A 
Dose Of Meth Reality.

The Crystal Meth Society of B.C. did its meth show to about a dozen 
schools in the area between Fraser Lake and Houston last week, and 
reached their target for the province in the process.

"We got quite far afield, all in School District 91," said society 
founder Mark McLaughlin. "We went to Grassy Plains, Granisle, Topley 
and other centres. We got in front of a lot of audiences we don't 
typically have access to. We got in front of 1,170 students, many of 
them in elementary school."

The trip north pushed them to the edge of the goal they set for 
themselves when the society first formed: reach 30,000 students in 
B.C. with the anti-meth message. On Monday they passed that mark.

A Prince George resident recently told The Citizen about personal 
experiences with meth and how lack of knowledge led to a single 
moment in which everything dear was lost.

"I was married, I had two kids I loved, I worked part time at a 
home-based business," said the recovering addict. "I had never done 
drugs in my life; I was content in my life."

But someone very close was addicted to meth. One day, when the 
person's kids and spouse were gone for the weekend, that addicted 
friend showed up at the door.

The person knew about meth and had even studied it to learn more 
about what this friend was dealing with, but it did not convey the 
addictive power of the drug.

"I thought I would try a little just to see what my friend was 
seeing. Wham. From the first time I was totally hooked. I wanted more 
right away, there was no stopping that feeling of wanting more. We 
stayed in the house for two days, then drove off. All I did was pack 
my duffel bag. My spouse and my kids didn't know a thing, they just 
came home to an empty house. I was gone."

It took years of sinking into habitual use and significant crime to 
pay for the drug (it became more than just meth, by the end) before 
the addict was able to restore some footholds toward a life that 
didn't involve using meth. By then the marriage was gone, the kids 
were estranged, all possessions lost, harsh legal knots were tied and 
all extended family put through the emotional wringer.

This case, drastic as it sounds, is not uncommon. Meth is a drug that 
has unprecedented abilities to hook a person, and is so cheap and 
easy to make that it makes trafficking to children and adults alike 
almost effortless for organized crime.

McLaughlin has given several presentations in and around Prince 
George, but this trip was unique in that most of the schools had 
mostly small and rural populations, and the entire trip was paid for 
by School District 91. The cost was about $2,500 for four days of 
presentations to three or four schools per day.

"Meth is as prevalent there (rural northern communities) than 
anywhere. No community is immune to this danger," he said. "Audiences 
there were looking for hope and optimism similar to what any city 
audience would. I would say they were keen to receive information 
about this street drug. Their basis of knowledge is seeing how 
messed-up people in their community are on meth, but the opportunity 
exists to bring more meth education to them, they are quite open to 
receiving it, and we were happy to provide that."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom