METH ADDICTION CAN BE TREATED, EXPERTS CONCLUDE

VANCOUVER -- Users of the highly addictive and increasingly popular drug
crystal methamphetamine can be treated successfully, experts concluded
following a three-day conference on the synthetic drug.

"It's a difficult road but we heard from experts that it is possible to
treat meth users and there is hope of reversing serious damage caused,"
said chairwoman Joanna Ashworth at the conclusion of the Western Canadian
Summit on Methamphetamine.

The three-day conference didn't conclude with any significant announcements
but a panel will continue to work on a "consensus document" to try to map a
strategy to fight the invasive drug.

Crystal meth is also known as ice, jib, glass or speed and it has become a
major worry in North America because of its increasing popularity and its
devastating effects.

To try to get a handle on it, some 250 delegates including doctors, police,
pharmacists and health-care workers met in Vancouver this week.

Delegates learned that "we need to be very concerned about a crisis but
there's a lot we can do to prevent situation from getting worse."

There is still not enough evidence to form a firm conclusion on who is
using it but Ashworth said there are certain groups that are particularly
affected: young street people, gay men and some people involved in the club
scene.

The delegates also learned that the crystal meth production and use began
in the West -- in Canada and the U.S. -- and spread East.

But they don't why, she said.

The consensus statement to come later would reflect the areas of agreement
reached by the experts.

"It's important to have good information to plan responses," said Ashworth.

A big part of the problem is that the ingredients to make crystal meth are
cheap and easily obtainable.

"We know that many of the ingredients needed to develop meth can be
obtained over the counter so it's really important to be able to regulate
the use and disrupt production as best as possible."

But any strategy to try to curb sale of the individual ingredients would be
difficult to enforce and, moreover, any strategy must be carried out along
with prevention, treatment and harm reduction.