DON'T OVERSTATE CRYSTAL METH RISKS - HEALTH OFFICER

Over-dramatizing the dangers of methamphetamine use to young people
across B.C. is unlikely to improve the problems with the drug in the
province, and could lead kids to doubt the actual dangers of the
synthetic stimulant, B.C.'s provincial health officer said Monday.

"The question is, do you want to make it sound like everybody is at
risk and everybody is using it?" Dr. Perry Kendall asked Monday while
taking a break from the Western Canadian Summit on Methamphetamine,
"or do you want to say, 'No it's a dangerous drug and most people know
it's a dangerous drug, and they will tend not to use it?' "

Drawing parallels with the sensationalized 1938 anti-drug movie Reefer
Madness, Kendall warned that if officials get "too worked up," or
spend too much time in a campaign against methamphetamine, there is a
very real risk they will take the problem "out of context of what
works in terms of drug-abuse prevention and education."

Explaining further, he said that if kids hear overstated messages
about how addictive the drug can be, for example, they might doubt the
actual facts, especially if they know people who have used it and are
not addicted.

While he said he does not think things have gotten notably out of
control yet, he does plan to bring his concerns to the methamphetamine
summit that began Monday in Vancouver.

For three days, experts from B.C., Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan,
the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, will discuss the growing
problem of methamphetamine use in the western provinces and
territories.

"The point of this event is to bring together the various stakeholders
from across the four provinces [and two territories] to increase the
state of knowledge and begin to map out the issue," said Jennifer
Vornbrock, summit chair.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant that can be highly addictive and can
lead to mental and physical problems such as paranoia depression
violence and, potentially, death. Once the drug's "high" stops, the
user often becomes extremely depressed and possibly suicidal.

Vornbrock said speakers will present to a "consensus panel" of nine
experts in various fields, ranging from John Borody, CEO of the
Addiction Foundation of Manitoba, to Anne-Elyse Deguire, senior
research analyst with the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse in Ottawa.

Members of the panel can ask questions of the presenters, as can the
250 or so delegates in attendance. The goal of the summit is for the
panel to emerge with a consensus statement about issues discussed at
the conference.

Vornbrock said it would be difficult to anticipate what that statement
might entail, but she said agenda topics include: Defining the problem
of the drug in the western provinces and territories, gathering
information on production and enforcement issues, and finding
opportunities for collaboration among agencies and
organizations.

Kendall said he supports a general anti-drug campaign that includes
methamphetamine for most kids.

DEADLY INDULGENCE:

Overdose deaths in B.C. by drug type:

Alcohol Methamphetamine

1998 30 0

1999 25 0

2000 17 2

2001 27 4

2002 20 7

2003 21 12

To June 21, 2004 2 6

Source: B.C. Coroner's Service