VETERAN OFFICER SAYS THE DRUG IS SCARY...

In the 12 years Valemount Constable Ed Burstrom has been with the
RCMP he's seen a lot. He had a good look at the damage crystal meth
does to its users during the six years he worked in the Fort McMurray
area. "My experience is hands-on, on the street. I've seen some
really nasty outcomes," he said.

Burstrom says that from what he's seen the drug is highly addictive
and the damage it does is irreversible. "One doctor told me the only
way off it is death."

He said crystal meth gets mixed with alcohol and other drugs and the
results "are just scary." Both mental and physical health is
seriously compromised while users are on the drug and they are sick
without it. "They get deathly ill if they don't have it," he said.

Burstrom says two things make controlling the use of crystal meth
difficult. One is the inability of those close to people
experimenting with crystal meth to recognize the problem. The other
is the time and effort needed to prosecute traffickers under Canadian law.