SASKATCHEWAN MUST DO MORE TO CURB CRYSTAL METH
USE: EXPERTS

Questions remain about the government's sincerity for those who have called
for a provincial crystal meth strategy in recent months.

While pleased the government addressed public pressure for the province to
act on crystal meth, advocates for a separate strategy feel the document
falls short. More money and resources are needed to deal with this drug
which users say is highly addictive and difficult to recover from.

"I'm glad they've finally come out with it, but I'm not really satisfied
with it at all," said Jean McGillivary, a former crystal meth user from
Naicam. She spoke of the addictiveness of crystal meth compared to other
drugs in the rotunda of the legislature last November.

Addicts need a phone line to call for help rather than websites. Also, more
long-term rehab beds are required as opposed to the short-term detox spaces
that were announced, she said. Not putting any extra money into addressing
crystal meth use, trafficking and production in the province is also a
concern of McGillivray's and others.

"I'm happy they've at least acknowledged the problem for the first time
publicly in that way as opposed to (saying) 'Well, it can wait. It's not a
crisis'," said Peter Moreau, principal of Nakoda-Oyade Education Centre at
Carry the Kettle First Nation.

"But I'm very displeased they are not going to put some sort of financial
push behind it."

Moreau felt the government was "sitting on its hands" when it came to the
growing prevalence of crystal meth in the province. He is organizing a
meeting for next month to inform his community about the drug and hopefully
prevent people from using it.

He became aware of the drug while working Turtleford in northwestern
Saskatchewan. The meeting is his way of staying "ahead of the wave" that is
coming to southern Saskatchewan.

"What it appears to me that they (the provincial government) are doing is
trying to quell the public's agitation .... I believe now the public will
say 'No, we're not satisfied with just putting the regular funds there,"
said Moreau.

The government will have to spend more money because of crystal meth, said
Prince Albert mayor Jim Stiglitz. "If they would look at it long term, what
this drug is costing our society in health and things like that. You have
to throw money at it to get it under control somewhat," said Stiglitz.

Stiglitz put forward a motion at a recent SUMA convention calling on the
government to pay for more detox beds as well as education and enforcement.
It was one of three crystal-meth related resolutions passed at that convention

"Addictions is already stretched to their limits already with alcohol and
other drugs and gambling," said Stiglitz. "Then you throw in crystal meth
and emphasize it and take money out of the program, so that means somebody
with a different problem loses out."

Representatives for the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists were out of the
office on Thursday. They have asked their members to put over-the-counter
medications containing ephedrine and psuedoephedrine behind the counter if
they suspect the medications are being purchased to make crystal meth.
Increased scrutiny of the sale of products used to make crystal meth is
mentioned in the government's strategy.

The FSIN is still reviewing the document.