CITY SENDING A STRONG MESSAGE

Taking meth is a deadly game. One $5 hit can have crippling
consequences, attacking the central nervous system and giving a high
so powerful that officials say the user can instantly become an addict.

According to a provincial report, more people have sought help for
meth abuse in the last five years in the Fraser Health Authority
(FHA) than any other region in B.C. And the Tri-Cities is one of the
worst areas, with increasing numbers of young women in the clutches
of the drug.

This past spring, RCMP uncovered a meth lab in Port Coquitlam - an
operation so loaded that police said it could have blown at any time.

To combat the problem, the city of PoCo last week rolled out its Meth
Watch program, a drive to get retailers who sell meth ingredients to
work with the police and fire department to curb the spread of meth
production. Participating retailers are asked to post Meth Watch
stickers to warn meth producers that their actions are under
scrutiny. Staff seeing a customer buying the products in bulk are
asked to turn the patron away and/or to call an RCMP chemical
diversion hotline.

Meth Watch has been working in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows since
March. Mounties there say the education campaign has been a success
in terms of making retailers and law enforcement officials more aware
of what's going on in the community. But it's difficult to say what
type of impact Meth Watch is having on criminals. Meth remains a
scourge in that community, like the Tri-Cities, likely because meth
producers can easily drive to the next community to buy their goods
by the case load.

Still, pro-active measures are being taken. Retailers need to be
vigilant about meth and send a message that it's not okay to do business here.