ALARM GROWS OVER CRYSTAL METH USE

The Drug Is Showing Up With Increasing Frequency In Samples Taken At Raves

Chelsea Norris is your typical middle class teenager who loves horses,
spending time with friends and dreams of one day being a veterinarian.

The 17-year-old is also a recovering drug addict who 10 months ago was
able to break a three-year daily habit of smoking crystal
methamphetamine.

Police say they are seeing more and more teenagers like Norris who
easily succumb to the highly addictive drug, which is making alarming
inroads into B.C. communities.

Norris' quick descent into the world of drugs began in a White Rock
high school when friends offered her crystal methamphetamine when she
was 14. It only took a month before Norris was hooked.

"I was going through some tough times with my family and as a typical
teenage girl I was insecure about my weight. I heard crystal meth
would make you lose weight so I tried it."

Police say the highly addictive drug has become more widespread among
teenagers in B.C. because of its low cost.

RCMP Corporal Scott Rintoul said a street-level purchase of one-tenth
a gram, which is referred to among users as a "point," costs $10.

Rintoul said the drug is so cheap some drug dealers are giving it out
free to high school students to lure them into becoming future customers.

"It doesn't happen with an ecstasy tablet because it's more expensive
- -- $20. But giving out half a point for free isn't a big deal," he said.

Norris said she has heard of a couple of instances where Grade 8 girls
were sleeping with drug dealers in order to feed their habits.

Rintoul said police expect the use of crystal methamphetamine to
expand among teenagers, and pointed out B.C. generally follows U.S.
trends in policing. Last year police uncovered 40 crystal
methamphetamine laboratories. In 1994 Washington state had 54 such
labs but in 2002 that number had increased to 1,400.

"We expect the number will be the same if not higher here in the same
time frame," he said.

Rintoul said RCMP analysis of 1,300 samples of synthetic chemical
drugs seized from rave parties and night clubs in recent years have
confirmed that many samples contain the highly addictive drug.

He noted that many youths may not realize the ecstasy tablet they
thought they were buying was actually a "drug cocktail" containing
crystal methamphetamine.

Three years ago the samples seized from the rave parties and night
clubs showed 40 per cent contained crystal methamphetamine. Last year
the drug was in 58 per cent of the samples and this year it was in 65
per cent of the samples.

"It's quite a disturbing trend," said Rintoul.

"It poses a grave concern to us because with that drug it's far more
addictive and dangerous than many. There's nothing organic in crystal
meth. It's all synthetic and definitely a neuro-toxic [poisonous to
nerves or nerve tissue] drug."

A Statistics Canada report shows drug-related offences among Canadian
youths have more than tripled since 1992. That year 1,924 youths were
charged with a drug offence and in 2002 the numbers charged had
increased to 6,058.

A lot of youths who have addictions know to stay away from crystal
methamphetamine, said Diederik Wolsak, program director of a
Vancouver-based rehabilitation program called Choose Again Society.

"They know what it is. But the kids with the stronger self-loathing
will try it," he said.

"Drug dealers know how effective and addictive it is. So they will
give it out free at parties."

Norris said although she initially had easy access to the drug her
addiction became so strong she was spending all of the money she
earned working at McDonald's on the drug.

"Every paycheque -- $300 every two weeks -- went on the drugs. I had
been saving for a car and had $1,000 but I emptied it all for speed,"
she said.

Norris said her mom would give her $5 each day to buy lunch at the
school cafeteria. Instead, she said she spend the money on crystal
methamphetamine.

"When you come down you feel like crap. You're sick, you're shaking.
You get very, very grouchy. So it makes you want to take it more. I
dropped out of school because I couldn't stay awake in class any more.

"All you ever feel is anger. You're never happy or sad. Just
angry."

She said the drug caused her to act out violently. She would hit her
mom and once tried to suffocate the family dog.

"I broke down the door with a rake. You become extremely agitated,"
she said.

Norris said after attacking the dog her mom called police and she
ended up hitting bottom.

"I was homeless. I had no money and I was starving," she
said.

She said when her mother offered to get her help she agreed to go into
treatment and now attends Narcotics Anonymous at least three times a
week.

Ran with fact box "Chelsea Norris", which has been appended to the end
of the story.