POLICE FOCUS ON PREVENTION IN FIGHT AGAINST CRYSTAL METH ON THE NORTH
SHORE

When it comes to fighting the crystal meth problem on the North
Shore, there is good news and bad news.

Authorities say this area is not experiencing the scourge of the "mom
and pop" home meth labs common in the United States and other parts
of the Lower Mainland, and the incidence of use among teens is not as
high as some have feared.

But meth made in "super labs" in other jurisdictions is available to
area youth and meth-addicted criminals have targeted the North Shore
for crime sprees and identity theft campaigns.

West Vancouver Police Sgt. Paul Skelton said within the last few
years, West Van police noticed "quite a number of meth addicts come
here in stolen cars from Vancouver."

Police have arrested individuals with notebooks packed with identity
theft information, often gathered from car break-ins or mailbox
thefts from apartment lobbies.

"Apartment tower lobbies are like grocery stores for criminals,"
Skelton said. "Often we get the same individuals coming back to
target the (West Van) community."

Skelton said meth is a concern because it is highly addictive and
users are active and resourceful during their six-to 12-hour highs on the drug.

"Meth can turn someone into a reclusive individual who has to commit
crimes to feed their habit," Skelton said.

While labs are not a problem - so far -on the North Shore, police
partnered with members of the Student Work Experience Team (SWET) in
March on a prevention campaign warning retailers that carry products,
such as cold remedies, which could be used to manufacture meth. The
group also advised business owners to watch for suspicious purchase
patterns, such as individuals buying bulk quantities of products.

More than 30 businesses received "Meth Watch" information packages
from the SWET members, Skelton said.

But the main thrust of police work on meth is promoting awareness and
prevention by speaking in schools and partnering with youth outreach
workers such as Jan Riddell from the Ambleside Youth Centre, Skelton said.

Riddell offers support to meth users and works on meth danger
awareness with at-risk youth.

RCMP drug and organized crime coordinator Sgt. Richard DeJong agrees
that prevention is key for police.

"It's very important we are active in schools and youth programs, but
not using scare tactics," DeJong said.

He said there have been reports exaggerating the numbers of teens
using meth in the past, but quoting unrealistic statistics is not the
way to credibly reach youth about the real risks of crystal meth.

"Meth is as toxic and destructive as people make it out to be, there
is no exaggerating that," he said. "People are trying it and dying -
we know that."

DeJong said the majority of local meth comes from big labs like those
taken down in Richmond and Abbotsford and it is distributed on the
North Shore at house parties. Many teens often get their first hit
from pills disguised as ecstasy.

DeJong said 70 per cent of ecstasy pills seized by police contain meth.

The message parents and educators need to get across to teens is that
no matter how safe someone says a recreational drug is, it could be deadly.

And never take a free hit of meth from a "friend" at a party.

"Dealers are creative," DeJong said. "They will give away the first
few hits. But after the first high, people want more and then they
start paying."

North Vancouver RCMP Sgt. Sheryl Armstrong said efforts to restart
the North Shore Crystal Meth Task Force awareness program for teens
are under way.

But overall youth are much more knowledgeable about the dangerous
drug then a few years ago, she said.

"We can't stop spreading that information," she said.