METH MEETING ATTRACTS CROWD

Despite alarming headlines across the country of troubled teens
strung out on crystal methamphetamine, Castlegar isn't plagued by the
destructive drug.

That doesn't mean, say local experts, parents don't need to keep a
watchful eye on their children.

Parents in the city are concerned. Eighty came out to last Thursday
night's two-hour crystal meth information meeting at the Castlegar
and District Community Complex.

"There's limited, if any, use of crystal meth in Castlegar," said
Tammy Verigin-Burk, FreedomQuest director. "But it is growing. It is
a trendy drug. And if it is here, people will use it. If not, they
use what is available."

Holly Jack, FreedomQuest prevention worker/families program
co-ordinator, reported a recent, yet unfinished study, covering the
West Kootenay, showed that out of 4,000 students in grades 7 to 12,
26 had used crystal meth. Of those, five had used the drug more than
three times.

The drug of choice in Castlegar remains cocaine and crack as well as
alcohol, Verigin-Burk said.

"Cocaine and crack are seen most here in Castlegar and we have seen
an increase in both. Snorting is becoming trendy again.

"But the whole Kootenay area is an eclectic area for drugs people
try. The drugs we see here other people aren't seeing in other areas."

Castlegar city Coun. Deb McIntosh said she organized a meth
information meeting because people had approached her with their
concerns about the drug. The hope is to educate people so crystal
meth doesn't ruin the lives of people living here.

Telltale Signs Meth's Moved In

Verigin-Burk said crystal meth -- also known as speed, crank, ice,
glass, chalk, Tina, tweak or snot -- have devastating effects on
users. Once vibrant and healthy people will experience psychosis,
insomnia and paranoia, develop sores, as well as loss of appetite.

"You see someone deteriorate quite quickly. It is like smoking little
pieces of glass. There's often long-lasting effects," Verigin-Burk said.

Symptoms of someone on meth include grinding of teeth, sweating,
agitation and unbelievable strength. It is like someone has really
serious attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Verigin-Burk added
- -- like they're really pumped up.

Meth is very addictive and difficult to get off of, added Jack.
"Users are often driven underground as it is seen as a dirty drug."

Mental Health and Addiction Services team leader Jim Fenning said
meth, a stimulant drug, is short-acting, and affects the body
immediately leaving the system needing more, he said.

Meth is cheaper than cocaine, said Verigin-Burk.

"It is the cheapest drug out there. It is cheaper than marijuana. And
kids using ecstasy, when it is hard to find, they will opt for meth."

Sometimes cocaine users opt for meth when they run out of coke, Fenning added.

Verigin-Burk said they've seen a more concentrated use of meth in
Trail and Grand Forks.

Castlegar RCMP Cpl. Jim Anderson transferred to the city from Hope,
where, he said, they had the highest meth use in the province at one time.

While meth hasn't made the inroads here as it has there, a couple of
serious incidents caused concern for the police. Recently, a couple
of meth addicts stole a car and led police on a wild chase.

Anderson said meth users can become violent and the level of paranoia
is often "bizarre."

He warned parents that teens on meth will experience "erratic or
abrupt changes in their behaviour."

He has not seen a meth lab in his 30 years on the job, but said
police did bust a small lab in Salmo.

Telltale signs crystal meth has made inroads into a community is a
leap in the number of crimes like theft, the corporal said. That
hasn't happened here.

"What we can do as a community is look for suspicious activity. If
something catches your eye, give us a call. Communicate with your
children and be informed."

Best Offence Is Education

Jack urged parents to continue to talk to their children. "Keep the
dialogue open. And keep yourself educated."

She also urged parents not to overreact.

"Maybe it is they are just experimenting, a one time thing. But find
out why they are experimenting and know who your kids are hanging out with."

Jack said invite your teens' friends to supper. It's a way to get to
know who might be influencing your child, and better yet, Jack said,
that child might just need a good dinner.

Goals Realized

The first of its kind in the city, Verigin-Burk was happy with how
the meth meeting went. "I was really pleased to see such a wide
variety of people here."

McIntosh was also pleased with the turnout and the information that went out.

"It went absolutely wonderful," she said, adding, "The information
was really clear and to the point. There is such hype out there about
it [meth], people need to be informed and educated. We didn't want it
to be an alarmist thing, but we did want to dispel some of the myths.
People walked out with more knowledge of the problem. That was the
goal, to get people to know where to go for answers."

Verigin-Burk and cohorts will be in Trail and Fruitvale in the near
future with presentations for youth, families who have youth who are
using drugs, and for the communities at large.

For more information on crystal meth, or other drugs, phone
FreedomQuest at 304-2676 or see these Web sites on everything from
tobacco use to illicit drugs: www.aadac4kids.com,
www.preventionsource.bc.ca, www.safety1st.org, www.familysamhsa.gov,
www.dancesafe.org, and www.vandu.org.