CRYSTAL METH MIX-UP

Re: Crystal Meth Use Among Pregnant Women 'Alarming,' Oct. 31.

I'm writing to correct information in this article.

Based on the Eurekalert press release, the article equates crystal
meth with methamphetamine. They are not the same. Even the original
scientific article never uses the term "crystal meth." Crystal meth is
the purified form of methamphetamine, and the hair test cannot tell
which form the pregnant women took. It is like saying that all
pregnant women testing positive for cocaine took crack.

The findings remain worrying, since it is the same molecule in the end
for the baby, but it is incorrect to say that the pregnant women who
tested positive all took crystal meth. It is likely the vast majority
of the women used other forms of methamphetamine, such as tablets sold
as "speed."

Jean-Sebastien Fallu, assistant professor, Ecole de psychoeducation,
Universite de Montreal.