FORUM ON CRYSTAL METH A MUST FOR WHOLE COMMUNITY

Forum to be held this Saturday at Victory Hall will be a chance for
young families to get information on this destructive and widely-used drug

This Saturday's forum on crystal meth is a must for all young
families in the South Similkameen.

Let's Be Crystal Clear, which is scheduled for this Saturday at
Victory Hall, is an initiative of the South Similkameen Anti-Crystal
Meth Committee, which is a sub-committee from the Village of Keremeos.

"This forum is going to be very informative," said committee chair
and village councillor Manfred Bauer.

"Young families really need to stand up and pay attention when it
comes to Crystal Meth. Children are starting to use this drug as
young as eight years old."

The event starts at 1 p.m. and will run until 3 p.m. Everyone is
invited to attend.

Two speakers are being featured at the forum, who Bauer says are top notch.

Angela Marshall is an internationally certified alcohol and drug
counsellor with a master degree in counselling and psychology.

Dr. Johan Wouterloot is a family physician certified by the American
and Canadian Societies of Addiction Medicine, and an instructor with
the Department of Family Practice at UBC.

"Both of these speakers are excellent," he said. "Normally they only
speak at very high profile events. Getting them to come to Keremeos
is really going to help make this forum worthwhile."

Bauer said the response to the forum in the community has been very
good, so he is hoping for a strong turnout.

"People are going to get a lot of information about Crystal Meth," he
said. "Things like what it is and why people take it will be just a
few of the subjects covered."

Crystal Meth has been front and centre in the public conscience
because of its epidemic growth. Bauer admits he was surprised by the
depth of this drug in society.

"If people think it won't come to their community, they are wrong,"
he said. "It is already here."

And as for the dangers of the drug, Bauer basically said it is a poison.

"It wrecks every inch of your body in a very short period of time,"
he added. "It is usually used in conjunction with other drugs. Very
rarely is Crystal Meth taken alone."

That makes dealing with addiction to this drug that much more
difficult to address, and that makes this forum that much more
important for people to attend.

For more information on this event, people can contact the Village of
Keremeos office.