CRYSTAL METH DUBBED HARDEST OF HARD DRUGS

'You Need a Harsh, Heavy Hand of Law Enforcement'

CALGARY -- When it comes to hard drugs, crystal meth is a "diamond."
It's one of the hardest substances on earth to quit, treat and police,
but innovative programs can help soften its blow.

That was the message from American state drug czar Marvin Van Haaften
to Canadian policymakers and community leaders at the first "Safe
Streets, Safe Cities" conference here yesterday.

"This is a hard drug. This is a diamond among hard drugs," Van
Haaften, director of the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy for
Iowa, told The Province.

Crystal meth has had a tight grip on the American Midwest, and Iowa,
as one of the hardest-hit states, has lessons for B.C., he said.

"This came on slow. I thought it was just a fad that was going to
pass," Van Haaften told the conference.

But, over the years, he's discovered that "there is nothing as
all-consuming as meth." In order to deal with it, "you need a harsh,
fairly heavy hand of law enforcement," he said.

The dramatic rise in addiction and amateur meth labs in Iowa caught
law enforcement off-guard.

The number of "Mom and Pop" or "Beavis and Butthead" labs exploded
from two busts in 1994 to 1,500 in 2004. And the percentage of addicts
seeking treatment who were hooked on meth increased to more than 15
per cent from three per cent in the same period.

To deal with the scourge, Van Haaften said, the state needed a "heavy
hand," combining innovative treatment and restorative-justice programs
that appear to be working.

In 2004, state counties passed laws to restrict the sale of commonly
available meth precursors. In May, the state passed legislation
limiting sales of pseudoephedrine -- a meth precursor in
over-the-counter cold medications -- to two boxes, requiring it to be
sold in pharmacies from behind the counter or locked up, and requiring
customers be over 18, provide ID and sign a log.

The state has also used its system of drug courts to rehabilitate meth
addicts. If they comply with programs to get clean, get a job, a
sponsor and treatment, they can have their records wiped out after a
year of staying clean.

The state has instituted longer, 90-day treatment programs for meth
addicts in custody and is looking at creating an all-meth-addict
prison and treatment centre, based on an Illinois model that has seen
results.

As a result, the state saw a nearly 80-per-cent drop in busts in the
first six months the law was in force.

While British Columbia has yet to see the spread of amateur meth labs,
police believe it's coming.

"Americans have told us for years, 'It's coming. Get ready for it.'
And maybe we are ready for it," RCMP drug officer Cpl. Scott Rintoul
said.

B.C.'s Meth Watch and B.C.'s pledge to monitor bulk precursor sales
seem to be helping reduce the growth in amateur meth labs.

"I have a friend who is a retired Vancouver police officer who two
weeks ago wanted to buy six boxes of Sudafed," Rintoul said. "And he
was challenged."