THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

A crystal methamphetamine forum held last week brought out community
members to discuss the dangers of the drug and ways to combat its use
in Golden.

Crystal meth kills brain tissue, attracts users as young as Grade 8
and 9 and it will wreak havoc in Golden as it has in other
communities if an action plan is not established, according to
speakers at the forum.

The audience watched a documentary called Crystal Clear, Crystal
Fear. The movie, which was made in Hope B.C., is about the struggles
of three teenagers and their families coping with crystal meth use.

RCMP member Joceyln Foidart involved the audience in a lively
discussion period following her presentation. Attendees learned a
great deal about this highly addictive drug. Crystal Meth Task Force
co-ordinator Kathy Collins said she hopes that -- armed with the
right information -- parents, youth and community members will take
the dangers of the drug seriously.

Constable Foidart presented information about the effects of crystal
meth and what the local RCMP is doing to prevent the drug from taking
an insidious hold on the community.

"Right now we don't have a huge crystal meth problem in Golden," she
said to the crowd. "So I think it's really important that we keep on
with the forums and grass-roots education."

In her presentation Foidart discussed the many physical effects of
taking crystal meth including hallucinations, memory loss, depression
and fatigue. She said people on crystal meth scratch fiercely at
their skin because they think it's covered in bugs, resulting in huge
scab wounds on their bodies.

But the consequences can be even worse.Foidart showed an image of the
brain of a crystal meth user that showed brain tissue destroyed by
crystal meth use.

Even youth who think they are not taking crystal meth might be,
Foidart warned. "Just because you don't think you're taking meth,
doesn't mean you're not," she said citing a local example where
marijuana joints had been dipped in crystal meth.

And for those who think that Golden does not have a problem with any
drugs, Foidart shot that theory right through the heart. "There's a
lot of drugs in Golden -- there's an absolute ton of drugs." About 85
per cent of the local RCMP detachment's calls for service are alcohol
or drug related.

Foidart says as a community, we have to pull together and have a
common vision for eliminating crystal meth from the streets of Golden.

"We need to step up and say we're not going to tolerate it here," she
concluded.

Following her presentation, Foidart and

Sgt. Marko Shehovac were questioned on RCMP initiatives to curb drug
use in the area.

Among the ideas presented was the idea of drug-free zones. Foidart
says the RCMP are looking at implementing drug-free zones in Golden,
possibly at Kumsheen Park, Golden secondary school and the skateboard park.

Foidart says if these zones are implemented, it will mean harsher
penalties for people caught with drugs in the designated zones.

Phil Taylor, chief administrative officer for the Town of Golden,
introduced the Crystal Clear, Crystal Fear video. Taylor is familiar
with the families in the video; he says they're just like the rest of
us -- parents who worked, owned a house, and the teenagers were "not
your typical wayward kids."

The video showed how cheap, easy to get and highly addictive crystal
meth is and how it can destroy a family. An alternate school teacher
from Hope interviewed in the video said he saw first-hand the
struggles of his students on crystal meth, noting of one of the
teenagers, "As much as he knows it's ruining his life, he loves it."

The task force, which was implemented in April under the guidance of
the Golden Rotary Club, has already conducted a survey and is
currently tabulating the results to find out what people in the
community know about crystal meth and who may be the most vulnerable
members of our population.