DRUG MESSAGE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR

Earlier this summer, I wrote a piece on the activities of non-profit
group and registered charity the Crystal Meth Society of B.C.

My point was that the society's classroom presentations regarding the
street drug were decidedly un-snooze-worthy. Local students were
finding the youth speakers and their stories highly engaging,
although disturbing. Crystal meth of course, is not a flowery
substance from your parents' generation. Grotesquely addicting and
debilitating, the drug has made front-page news on several occasions.

Students' intense reactions to the awareness programs made me wonder
why there weren't more young people involved in public service presentations.

It turned out that Mark McLaughlin, president and co-founder of the
Crystal Meth Society of B.C., was enthusiastic about youth
involvement in any aspect of the organization. Shortly after the
original crystal meth piece came out, he invited me to discuss plans
for the society's future. I was particularly curious about the "youth
leadership program" I had heard about.

"So, um ... what is it?" Was my first brilliant journalistic question.

McLaughlin explained that the program idea was very much still in the works.

"We need more youth to help deliver our education programs within
schools," he told me. "You know, leadership students, peer
counsellors, those who might be in recovery ... basically anyone who
has a fire in their belly for this particular topic."

Also on the agenda was work at the college and university level,
targeting in particular students in the social work or nursing
programs. McLaughlin was clear that come September, he wanted the
youth leadership program on its feet.

With school back in session, he hoped the structure would help
precipitate some student initiative.

He pointed out that the society's recent tour through Fort St. John
and Dawson Creek revealed troubling statistics. "Up to 20 per cent of
the kids there know someone [involved with crystal meth]. That's in
the middle school. Same as here."

In a nutshell, that means kids aged 11 to 14. It was only four or
five years ago that my friends and I were still that age, but in an
accelerated culture, five years can make an immense difference. I
might have been a weird and brooding preadolescent, but you probably
could have convinced me and my close friends that crystal meth was
the name of an accessory boutique selling rhinestone compact mirrors
and gaudy bracelets. Sadly, this is not the case for youngsters today.

Though the Crystal Meth Society of B.C. and its provincial branches
have been on the radar only since 2005, McLaughlin and his non-profit
crew are working diligently to make their voices heard and their
actions meaningful. Considering the dip in ages associated with the
drug, the impact that youth can have on the delivery of their
messages remains central.

I am reminded of a quote by American cultural anthropologist Margaret
Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Now "changing the world" might sound a little intense for most
adolescents, which is fine. That's not the object here. The object is
to "play a role in getting the 'Be Crystal Clear' message out," as
McLaughlin puts it. And he is indeed confident that there are youths
out there who can help achieve it.

"So do we have an opportunity to get after this item?" He asks. "Yes.
Let's do it!"

For more information contact the society at youth@crystalmethbc.ca or 388-6384

Lana Hall is an 18-year-old graduate of the School District 63
Individual Learning Centre.