LINES DRAWN IN METH WAR

Task Force Says There's No Time To Lose In Putting Recommendations In
Place

EDMONTON -- It will cost more than $30 million to wage war against
crystal meth, but it's a drop in the bucket compared the human toll
claimed by the notorious drug, says the Premier's Task Force on
Crystal Meth.

"Make no mistake, this is a battle. We've drawn the lines and we can
win. But if we don't do something about this drug now, we're going to
lose more kids," said Dr. Bob Westbury.

Westbury, who along with Colleen Klein chaired the task force,
officially presented a list of 83 recommendations for combatting the
drug to Health Minister Iris Evans yesterday.

Sun editor Licia Corbella reported some of the details of the report
yesterday.

The paper is the result of a year's worth of interviews conducted with
meth users, educators, politicians, social workers and law enforcement
groups.

It will take the co-operation of all levels of government, Klein
said.

"We can't do this fully without the feds,"she admitted.

Among the recommendations are: 300 more detox and treatment beds
across the province, more flexible privacy laws to allow doctors and
treatment facilities to share patient information, and the immediate
creation of a fund to help reduce meth use among youth.

Evans said they will easily cost more than $30 million.

"The treatment and detox beds alone will cost about that. But the cost
of not doing it would be far greater," she said.

"Imagine our health-care system having to treat countless 30- and
40-year-old addicts who can't get out of the fetal position because
meth has destroyed their bodies."

Westbury said there's no time to lose.

"Addicts call meth 'the monster,' " he said, telling of a 17-year-old
he recently met.

"He'd sold meth to his 14-year-old brother to make money and get high.
Now his brother's an addict, too."

The task force has also requested municipalities cease issuing
licenses to stores that sell drug paraphernalia, such as bongs.