DARKER SIDE OF DRUG USE EXPOSED BY PANEL

In the 21st Century, there still seems to be a prevailing image of
drugs and youth entwined in a glamorous embrace -- all part of the
ever expanding culture of drugs.

James, a heroine user who asked his real name be withheld, said all
it would take is a day spent in his world for drug-using teens to see
is really isn't worth it in the end.

"I'd like to show them what it's like to sit on a bed for
half-an-hour trying to find a vein (for the needle) to get a
30-second buzz," he said Wednesday as a member of a panel discussion
at the Alberta Harm Reduction Conference in Lethbridge.

For people who want a truthful and intimate understanding of life in
a drug culture, they need look no farther than those who live it.
James, from Calgary, was joined by two other drug users who spoke
about the culture of drugs as they grew up and the seemingly more
violent and desperate environment on the streets today for youth.

Jen Tyler, program co-ordinator and counsellor for Lethbridge HIV
Connection, said firsthand experience from drug users is invaluable.
"I think that they truly are experts. We're going to know the kinds
of things that go on in their world by asking them."

Richard McCartney said he has 34 years of drug culture in his life.
Most recently he's become a crack user.

During those three decades, the Red Deer man has seen a dramatic
change in life on the streets, including more violent crimes among
users and the development of a more unpredictable environment.

McCartney isn't one to become mired in pessimism, however.

"This has brought me great hope by coming to this convention. I just
feel that there is a growing movement and sharing of knowledge," he
said on the second and final day of the conference.

Support issues seem to be the main point of contention for the panel.
While all three say there are pockets of strong support among fellow
drug users and those who counsel them, there's still a lack of
understanding and support from society.

Karen, a drug user from Edmonton who asked her last name not be used,
said the onus is on the users to actively seek help if they wish to
kick a drug habit.

If someone had intervened in their lives at an early age, the panel
members suggested they might have kicked the drug habit. Karen
wondered whether youth might think twice about entering the drug
culture if they were taken to see drug users in jail or even more
drastically, the morgue.