RAVAGES OF CRYSTAL METH DISCUSSED

RCMP Seek To Raise Public Awareness Of Addictive Drug At Public Meeting

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE -- Crystal meth can take away your life.

That is the message from the RCMP, which held a public awareness
meeting in Portage la Prairie last night.

About 30 adults attended the two-hour meeting at Herman Prior 55-plus
Centre.

During his presentation, Manitoba RCMP division's drug awareness co-
ordinator, Sgt. Marc Samson, focused on crystal methamphetamine, an
addictive drug, which more kids are using.

He talked about how the drug is made, its effects and the long-term
consequences for users.

Samson, who works at RCMP D Division headquarters in Winnipeg,
provided parents and concerned residents who turned out with
information on the dangers of meth use.

"I believe educating people is a key factor," he said after the
meeting. "It's not eliminating it, because we'll never eliminate the
drug problem, but at least curtail it a little bit, the abuse (by)
young people and teenagers."

Samson said information on making crystal meth is easily available on
the Internet, noting people can become addicted after they first try it.

He said crystal meth affects a whole community, as crime and violence
increase when users need to finance their habit. Samson stressed the
drug is spreading across Canada.

"To think that crystal meth is not in Portage, it would be naive to
say that .=85 Crystal meth is in Manitoba," he said.

Const. Dave Spakowski, Portage RCMP's media liaison and community
policing officer, discussed the crackdown on gangs in the community
during his presentation. "We're recognizing two or three groups in
town in gangs," he said after the meeting.

Spakowski said gang involvement can happen in any neighbourhood.

"It's important to not only look outside the window, but it's
important to look at home and communicate with your children," he
said. "Find out what they're into and get involved with your
children. That's a good way of keeping your kids away from any sort
of gang activity."

John Bodie, 54, from the Portage area, who attended the meeting said
his children are no longer teenagers, but he is still concerned about
meth use in the community.

"I guess I'm very inexperienced about the drug world, so it was a
learning process for me," he said after the meeting. "I don't think
there's enough awareness about it. If our children, if our
communities know the after-effects of it, I'm sure they would never
get involved in it. Why would you? It's a death penalty. That's the
message I got out of it."

Coun. Ken Brennan, who sits on the city's public safety committee,
said residents need to spread the word about gangs and drugs.

"The idea of the meeting is for education and communication," Brennan
told those in attendance. "I know we're a small group here tonight --
I wish we could have had 700 people -- but if the people who are here
take what they've learned: Tell your friends, tell your kids and your
grandkids, and share what we heard here tonight, it will help in a
small way a very big problem."