'SCARRED FOR LIFE' CITY-LED FORUM AIMS TO EASE 'STRANGLEHOLD' METH HAS ON YOUTH

White Rock hosts its first ever forum on crystal meth next
week.

The forum will be moderated by Mayor Judy Forster, who enlisted the
main speaker, Kerry Jackson, a White Rock women who lost her only son
to meth.

After a rapid fall into meth addiction and related psychosis,
Jackson's son killed himself.

Forster said Jackson was a natural choice to speak at the forum, with
an inspirational and informative story emerging from her tragedy. "She
lost her only child to crystal meth and a lot of people would have let
it defeat them," Forster said.

With experts calling crystal meth a growing menace in the Lower
Mainland, Forster said now is the time to engage Peninsula residents.
"Crystal meth has such a stranglehold on so many young people. It's
insidious and young people are experimenting at a frighteningly young
age," Forster said this week.

The forum will be interactive, with presentations from Jackson, RCMP,
addiction counsellors, former addicts and school district liaisons. "I
want to see young families there, grandparents, merchants - the
whole community can take ownership of this," Forster said.

After losing her son, Jackson said her mission is to arm parents with
the know-how to see their children's vulnerabilities and intervene
early.

"The fall into crystal meth addiction is so fast, so hard," Jackson
said.

"Your whole family will be scarred for life. Parents, being the
front-line, need to recognize when your child isn't thinking highly of
themselves."

RCMP Staff Sgt. Tom Forster said he'll attend the forum to raise
awareness of the crystal meth menace.

"It will be very informative. I think the saying forewarned is fore
armed is appropriate," Forster said.

Kevin Letourneau, addictions counsellor at Peace Arch Community
Services, will speak about PACS' new video on crystal meth, and the
scope of the problem here.

"I want to be clear, we don't (yet) have an epidemic, but crystal meth
is here in White Rock," Letourneau said. The forum takes place May 24,
7 p.m. at the Star of the Sea Parish Hall (15262 Pacific Ave.)

Admission is free.

For more information, contact Anthony Intas at PACS (604 531-6226 /
aintas@pacsbc.com) or White Rock City Hall (604 541-2124).