CANADA HAS REPUTATION AS DRUG LEADER

We're One Of World's Top Producers Of Illicit Drugs

Canada is getting a world reputation that has nothing to do with
promoting peace or politeness.

While South American nations were once known as the world's biggest
source countries for illegal drugs, Canada is quickly shooting up,
says RCMP Cpl. Brent Hill, head of the National Chemical Diversion Program.

Speaking to the Bluewater Emergency Care Conference recently, Hill
said clandestine drug laboratories are popping up all over the place
and no city or town is immune, including Sarnia.

"Canada has become a leading source country for ecstasy, marijuana
and methamphetamine," he told the crowd. "We have exceeded Holland in
production (of ecstasy)."

The reasons are many, he said, with money topping the list. A person
can turn a $1,000 initial investment into more than $900,000 worth of
street product.

"Synthetic drug labs have permeated into every type of neighbourhood
across Canada and the threat is growing," said the 19-year policing veteran.

"It's a crime of greed. There are enormous profits."

Drug recipes, for concocting methamphetamines, ecstasy and other
drugs are easily accessible online, Hill said. People have taken up
to cooking drugs in their homes, apartments, offices and schools.

"Anywhere you can think of you could find a drug lab," he said.

The biggest growing problem is meth and crystal meth, said Hill, as
the drug is extremely addictive and the highs last up to 24 hours.
Statistics show that only six per cent of meth users get and stay
sober, the lowest ratio of any illicit drug.

"Why do we have a problem? It's the youth, aged 12 to 25. They want
meth," Hill said.

Students have even been busted cooking meth in university labs.

And the ingredients are readily available. Meth has only three
ingredients: pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient in Sudafed and
other cold medications; iodine crystals and red phosphorus.

"If you can bake cookies you can make meth," said Hill.

However, your kitchen isn't going to explode making cookies, nor will
you get hooked on them so bad it will lead you to risk life and limb
to get them.

Hill calls making meth a chemistry class disaster waiting to happen.

"The problem is the chemicals are extremely toxic, corrosive,
explosive and flammable," Hill said, after showing photos of how some
home-based labs literally blew the house into oblivion.

Because of the easily detectable odours, most labs have little or no
ventilation. The build up of chemicals is highly volatile and highly lethal.

"When I started, we wore jeans and t-shirts to a bust. Today, we wear
full chemical suits and breathing apparatus."

What is most concerning to police, Hill said, is the behavioural
changes a user undergoes, with psychotic behaviour topping the list.

Meth usage can lead to all manner of health problems, including
stroke, brain damage, severe weight loss and ultimately death.