METH MEETING WEDNESDAY

It's One Of The Most Dangerous Drugs On The Street And It's Not Going Away.

Last year, according to a survey by the provincial government, 8% of
students in the Grades 6 to 12 had used crystal meth during the school year.

The effect? Euphoria, but the drug is highly addictive and, in some
cases, can be deadly.

The social cost to make the drug can be dangerous, too, putting
neighbours and emergency responders at risk.

"It takes a chemist to dismantle them," said John Kenyon, assistant
fire chief with Port Coquitlam Fire/Rescue, a key speaker at a meth
awareness meeting to be held Wednesday.

Clandestine meth labs are found when neighbours tip off police, when
there's a crime in progress or when the home goes up in smoke, Kenyon said.

The amount of toxic waste generated from a meth lab is also a serious
concern. Generally, a pound of meth results in five pounds of
by-products. Those usually end up sewers, ditches and dumpsters.

"We find remnants of this everywhere," Kenyon said.

Recently, PoCo Fire/Rescue got a call from a business owner at an
industrial site complaining about drums left on his property. Inside
were precursors for a meth lab.

"This stuff just can't be disposed of around here," Kenyon said. "You
have to ship it to Alberta to be burned at a special lab. There are
huge expenses to get rid of it."

In his presentation, Kenyon will talk about dangers of meth labs and
show pictures of homes that have housed them, including some in the Tri-Cities.

He'll also discuss the initiatives by the city to curb the spread of
the drug with the MethWatch program (which is also operating in Coquitlam).

Robb McGirr, a retired sergeant with Port Moody Police and an expert
on teen drugs trends, will also speak at the meeting, which starts at
7 p.m. and takes place at Riverside secondary school, 2215 Reeve St.,
PoCo. The event is being hosted by the Society for Community
Development, PoCo community police station and the Tri-Cities Meth Task Force.

DANGER SIGNS

Signs of a meth lab:

* chemical odours coming from a house or garage; * windows are
blacked out or curtains always closed; * paranoid, odd or unfriendly
behaviour by residents; * excessive amounts of trash, especially
solvents; * extensive security measures (signs, bars); * frequent
night activity.