'WHAT HAPPENED TO JIMMY'

Father Of Overdose Victim Warns Youth About Ecstasy

Two years ago, John Watson lost his 20-year-old son to an ecstasy
overdose.

But Watson says he's still the luckiest dad in the world.

"The last words we shared, Jimmy and I, were that we loved each
other," Watson recalled Tuesday.

The next time Watson saw his son, Jimmy Dean was in a coma and his
brain was swollen to a point from which he couldn't recover. He died
in hospital that day.

Three days after Watson and his wife Wanda buried their son, they got
to work on a presentation that would tell Jimmy Dean's story and would
warn other young people about the dangers of ecstasy and crystal meth.

Watson gave his most recent presentation to a group of teachers from
the Prairie Valley School Division on Tuesday in Regina. He told them
how he was an addictions worker for 17 years before his son died, but
struggled with his work after losing his son.

"I wasn't strong enough to go on without Jimmy and I had to work in
his name to honour him," he said.

A big part of Watson's work involves making presentations to students
at schools in the province. He has already worked with students in his
hometown of Whitewood, and hopes to spread his message across the province.

He also plans to contribute to a video about crystal meth use in the
province.

The First Nations University of Canada, in partnership with the
leading doctor in crystal meth studies in North America and families
who have dealt with the aftermath of the drug's use, will release a
Saskatchewan-specific video to teach young people about the
consequences of the drug, said Watson.

Currently, he uses a video filmed in the U.S. that shows a young girl
overdosing on crystal meth, which also features testimonials of drug
users and their loved ones.

The video, shown to the group Tuesday, is one of the most important
parts of the presentation, Watson said.

"I want to warn them about what happened to Jimmy," he said. "We need
awareness of how dangerous it is. It'll take your life within a minute."

Ecstasy is just as dangerous as crystal meth because of the poisons
being put into the drugs, said Watson. When Jimmy Dean died, he had
taken ecstasy with his girlfriend and a friend. Although they all took
the drugs, only Jimmy Dean suffered serious consequences, Watson said.

"(Ecstasy) is not made by professionals. It's made by just people.
They don't know what they're adding in there," he said.

He added that he always gives young people the same message.

"It doesn't matter how smart you are or how good-looking. If this drug
gets in your blood stream, it's going to take you and it's going to
destroy you," Watson said.