NEW 'DRUG OF CHOICE' EASY TO GET

The use of crystal methamphetamine in Edmonton is on the upswing,
especially among those attending raves, and has city cops worried.

"It's becoming more and more of a problem," city police drug section Det.
Glen Hayden said yesterday.

"We've seen it more and more in the past six months.

"It used to be restricted to a group of local users, but now it's in raves
and nightclubs."

The problem in trying to crack down on crystal meth in Edmonton, said
Hayden, is to find officers who are young enough to fit in with the
20-year-old-and-under rave crowd.

The drug, which can be smoked, snorted or taken intravenously, is readily
available and can be purchased for $20 a hit and up, he said.

Former crystal meth addict Dewey, 35, who didn't want his last name
published, said it doesn't help matters that an increasing number of people
are making it themselves. He said recipes are even available on the Internet.

"It was easier for me to score crystal methamphetamine than pot.

"It's becoming the drug of choice. It is getting worse than cocaine, and
that's bad."

AADAC said their detox services have seen "more crystal methamphetamine
than a year ago," said Beth Lipsett, manager of adult counselling and
prevention services in the city.

"(AADAC) didn't see it hardly at all a year ago. But there are dips and
valleys."

The problem here is not an isolated one. Law enforcement officials south of
the border are fighting similar battles. Last year in the Northwestern
United States, 1,000 crystal meth labs were shut down. Smaller operations
are run out of bathtubs in hotel rooms, or apartments, while bigger
operations are set up in rural homes or barns. Some makers are easy to
catch, while others quickly leave and dump everything on the ground or in
rivers, said Seattle police spokesman Thomas O'Brien.

Dumping drugs and paraphernalia can create health and environmental risks,
a concern for law enforcement agencies arriving on the scene and for those
who live nearby.