CRYSTAL METH WORRIES DRAW 200 TO SEMINAR

Forewarned Is Forearmed.

That was the motivation for close to 200 people to attend a forum at Oak
Bay high school on the dangers of crystal meth, a powerful and highly
addictive street drug.

Some were curious, like grandmother Barbara Lewis of North Saanich.

"I have a daughter-in-law that told me quite a bit about it, how accessible
it is and cheap -- it upsets me," said Lewis, a former corrections employee.

"I was reading that some of the provinces are enacting legislation to make
it more difficult to get and that's fine by me."

Others, like Kim Basi, have seen what crystal meth can do to users and
wanted to spread the word on its dangers. The Saanich police constable
works on a region-wide basis with sexually exploited youth and was
scheduled to speak at the forum.

"I'm definitely hearing that it's important," she said before the forum
began. "A lot of the kids that I'm working with are meth-addicted, that's
what got me interested in the first place.

"I couldn't understand why meth was such a big attraction. I did a lot more
research and found out how it's cheap and the young girls like the weight
loss."

The scope of addiction is likely greater than we realize, she added so it's
important to get the word out and educate people on crystal meth.

"They hear about it. We want them to look for signs and symptoms. Teenagers
are often irritable but with meth, there's a difference."

Parent Chris Laframboise brought her two daughters, a son and a niece, aged
12 to 15, to the forum so they could all learn together. "I want them to
make intelligent decisions," she said.

"I think they're good kids but there's always that chance (they'll use
meth). Someone is going to offer it to them somewhere down the road."

Her daughter Jeboah, a 14-year-old Colquitz secondary student, said she
knows "lots of kids who have done it and they have psycho problems."

The drug is readily available at school, she said.

"You just have to know the people to go to, and everybody does."

DRUG FACTS

What is crystal meth? Methamphetamine hydrochloride, street names are ice,
crystal, speed, glass, jibb and tina.

What does it do? It releases high levels of dopamine in the brain, giving a
feeling of pleasure. Taken orally, the user experiences increased
wakefulness and physical activity and decreased appetite. In high doses, it
causes irritability, insomnia, confusion, hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia
and increased aggression.

What's in it? Ingredients and materials include over-the-counter cold
medicines, iodine, drain cleaner, lithium batteries and paint thinner.