B.C. METH PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

$3 Million in Education Funds Promised

North Shore officials said they are hopeful that a $3 million crystal
meth education program unveiled last week by the B.C. government will
deter youth from falling in the trap of the drug's destructive
effects already experienced by local kids.

"I've seen a number of kids who have been impacted by crystal meth,
either themselves or their friends and their families and that impact
has, in 98 per cent of the time, been severe," said Jeremy Church, a
counsellor at North Vancouver's Keith Lynn alternative school. "From
my perspective, anything that I can do to raise awareness in the
school and in any way that the government can support me to do that,
I'm in favour of."

The program is part of a wider $7 million commitment made last year
by Premier Gordon Campbell for new initiatives to fight crystal meth
use. It will include classroom lessons and resources, teacher
resources, a parent's guide to provide parents with the information
they need to talk to their kids about the drug, and an information
website (www.no2meth.ca).

According to Elana Sures, a counsellor at West Coast Alternatives, a
non-profit group helping individuals affected by alcohol and/or
drugs, many kids didn't know what meth really was when they were
first introduced to it, usually at a rave or a party.

She explained that the high felt from crack was too short and they
were bored with ecstasy and wanted to try something different but
didn't realize just how toxic and corrosive the new drug was. "In
that sense, education is really important," she said. "Nipping it in
the bud is absolutely the best form of attack. Even using it once can
be harmful."

Even if kids do know about the effects, they may not know they are
using it as crystal meth. It's often used to lace marijuana or other
drugs, said Church.

Although it is unclear just how many kids are using it on a regular
basis, crystal meth is addictive because it can trick people into
feeling confident and euphoric and provides a rush of energy,
according to the provincial website.

In addition to dependency, the health risks of long-term meth use
include depression or paranoia and possible damage to the heart,
brain and other internal organs

Unlike cocaine or heroine, it can be homemade almost anywhere using
ingredients used in cold medications and other chemicals such as
acetone, drain cleaner, lithium, iodine, paint thinner, kerosene, red
phosphorous and muriatic acid.

"It can be made in your bathtub," said Alan Podsadowski, the
executive director of West Coast Alternatives. He added that the
chemicals can wear out the porcelain in the tub which is then mixed
in with the other toxic chemicals. "Because of everything else that's
in it, it's doing harm right away."

Last year the North Shore community formed the North Shore Crystal
Meth Task Force, which had a 90-day public awareness campaign to
confront the problem. Some local businesses are participating in a
meth-watch, where stores look out for people who buy an inordinate
amount of chemicals used in crystal meth, said North Vancouver RCMP
spokesman Const. John MacAdam.

"Due to the fact that it's not a very expensive drug to buy, it
essentially makes it easier to purchase for anyone," he added.

But such substance abuse is occurring province-wide, in affluent
communities as well as the poorest postal codes, according to
officials. The province is at the front lines in the fight against
crystal meth as part of our commitment to safer communities, said
Solicitor General John Les.

Les said in a press release that the province is working with police
to shut down meth labs and bring down organized crime groups, but at
the same time also needs to reach out to students, parents and
teachers, so this education campaign is the natural next step.

Research shows that about five per cent of student in Grades 7-12
have tried crystal meth, said Education Minister Shirley Bond in a
recent release. The studies found that although 86 per cent of
students have never used any of the so-called "party drugs," most
first-time use of crystal meth occurs in Grades 9 or 10 and
approximately 20 per cent of users become dependent.

According to Podsadowski, who has 30 years experience dealing with
substance abuse, the number of kids using crystal meth may currently
not be very high, but he worries it could signal the beginning of an
epidemic similar to that of cocaine two decades ago.

"In 1985, our program which is based in North Vancouver had no one
with a cocaine problem," he recalled. "By '86, '87 it just started
coming in waves and it became so popular. Soon after that people
began snorting and freebasing and using more addictive methods of
using the drugs. Within three to four years, 30, 35 to 40 per cent of
our case load was made up of people with cocaine problems."

For now, however, the most abused drug on the North Shore is
marijuana, followed by alcohol and cocaine, said Sures. "A lot of the
crystal meth users end up where the crystal meth scene is, which is
Vancouver's downtown."

Those who are hooked on cocaine may eventually switch to crack
cocaine because it's a lot cheaper. To get money they steal, sell
things or use sex as a trade for drugs, said Sures.