METH IS NOT HERE YET -- LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY

Have you noticed the Crystal Meth campaign in Arrow Lakes News? We
hope you have and that you have read it carefully - preferably with
your children.

We also tried to localize this growing problem, and were pleasantly
surprised to learn there was no issue in Nakusp.

My best advice is not to get too comfortable or complacent about that
bit of information. It is very important to work hard if we are to
keep our community free of crystal meth use and manufacturing.

It is interesting how, upon moving into the Kootenays, we all hear
the jokes about the Kootenay crops of marijuana. "Best in Canada"
some tell me. We know it is a cash crop in the region, and we know it
is the substance of choice for thousands. Most of us tune out all
references to the crop. It appears to be a part of the lifestyle
people refer to.

Trouble is, we cannot market that particular fact when defining our
Kootenay lifestyle!

Getting back to crystal meth...there is a drug we need to watch for,
as it does more than tobacco or pot. It affects the central nervous
system and offers a greater "rush" than marijuana. Trouble is, there
is increased agitation and possibly violence in some people.
Insomnia, anxiety, paranoia, and confusion are other effects.

Many become so addicted, and become extreme users and very dependent
on meth, their very lives are in danger.

British Columbia had the dubious distinction of having the highest
number of meth labs in 2004.

The other message this month has been to talk about the drug with
your kids. It is a message worth listening to. Yes, it is tough to
get youngsters and teens to take these issues seriously, but we have
to get their attention.

Let us not forget our own youth. There is always a substance that
teens will try. In the 1920s there was opium, which started out in
the adult community but quickly found its way to the younger crowds.

Every generation of teens will have a drug to deal with, and every
generation of parents will have to try to keep their kids away from it.

We all struggle along, and think we are doing a decent job of sharing
information with our kids. I enjoy watching grandparents getting
involved with that young set. There is often a very special bond
between grandparents and grandchildren and talking about the dangers
of meth is a perfect conversation for them to have.

Did you know that in a recent Stats Canada report, 34 per cent of
teens had tried marijuana, four per cent had tried ecstasy and three
per cent had used crack cocaine, two per cent had used crystal meth
and one per cent had used heroin.

We have been told Nakusp is not yet into meth. I don't know about
you, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep it that way -
for the sake of our youth and their families who would miss them.

So, I encourage all parents and grandparents to please - talk to your
kids - and listen to them. If the topic makes you uncomfortable, find
a professional to guide you both. The effort will be felt by the
whole community.