TASK FORCE TO HOST THREE LIFE OR METH FORUMS FOR YOUTH

The way to a teen's head is through their stomachs, at least the
Maple Ridge crystal meth task force hopes so.

The group hopes at least 100 kids will show up at the Life or Meth
forums, Sept. 30 in Maple Ridge and Oct. 14 in Pitt Meadows.

If they do show up to the evening sessions, free pizza, cake and ice
cream await, as well as a free T-shirt to the first hundred at each location.

"We figure we'll be able to keep them a little longer," said Mary
Robson with the task force.

The goal of the evenings is to continue on with the education process
about the deadly drug.

"I think there's enough youth in this community who would like to
know more about it," Robson said.

A third evening is being planned at the Katzie First Nation reserve
Oct. 21 where 50 T-shirts will be given out.

The forums start with some basic information about meth provided by
an addictions counsellor. That will be followed by a movie then a
panel discussion with some questions and answers from the audience
and a panel of experts and former addicts.

The youth forums follow presentations in the previous two years in a
few high schools.

"It's (crystal meth) made its way across the U.S. and it's doing
the same thing in Canada. We're not winning the battle here yet.
We're still losing," Robson said.

One goal for the evenings is to improve the general knowledge about
the drug. Robson said she found out earlier that some kids had no
idea that speed was methamphetamine.

The task force is working on getting a presentation into high schools
as well as pre-taping a Shaw cable show Nov. 18 that will review
Maple Ridge's approach to the problem.

One of the ongoing challenges is that crystal meth use is not
recorded for deaths or admissions to hospital.

"There are no hard stats on meth use.

"I know it's in the schools. I know it's in the community," Robson said.

However, according to staff at the Iron Horse Youth Safe House,
tobacco and alcohol are the two main problem drugs for kids there.

The time and place for the Maple Ridge forum on meth is Saturday,
Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Greg Moore Youth Centre.

In Pitt Meadows, it's Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Pitt
Meadows Leisure Centre.

At the Katzie reserve, it's Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at Katzie Hall.