PUBLIC AWARENESS IS FIGHTING CRYSTAL METH

Last week's crystal meth forum at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium drew
a full house of concerned residents.

Kudos to the City of Abbotsford for organizing the event and bringing
attention to what some are calling an epidemic that is sweeping
across the Lower Mainland.

The message last Thursday night was clear. Crystal Meth, also known
as crank or super ice, is extremely easy and cheap to make, yet its
cost to the community is high.

Therapist Angela Marshall of Fraser House Alcohol and Drug Outpatient
Society told the audience, "It's not a drug but in fact a poison."

Public awareness and education are a key tool in the fight against
crystal meth. In October 2005, B.C. Premier Gordon Campell announced
a $7 million initiative to combat the spread of crystal meth use and
addiction. Of that, $1 million has been earmarked for school
awareness initiatives.

Teachers are doing all they can in the classroom, incorporating
prevention, intervention and rehabilitation information in their
approach to educating students. However, parents must play their part
as well. A survey of four B.C. school districts involving 13,000
children found that eight per cent of youth in Grades six to 12
reported having tried crystal meth in 2005. Studies show that 20 per
cent of people who use crystal meth become dependent.

With grim statistics like this, parents in Abbotsford cannot afford
to sit back and think it won't happen to their child. This community
and the people in it are just as vulnerable as anywhere else. Parents
should take the time to sit down with their children and explain the
dangers of crystal meth. Go online and visit no2meth.ca. It is one of
several informational websites designed to educate people about the drug.

Overall, we all need to make crystal meth and its dangers our
business. According to the B.C. government, the number of clandestine
meth labs in urban settings has increased sharply over the last few
years presenting risks of fire, explosion and toxic waste. It's time
we all make time to educate ourselves. We might just surprise
ourselves by what we learn.