TALK SPOTLIGHTED A DRUG'S HARSH REALTY

Crystal meth is a term that is now part of society. Most people have
heard of it and know it as a highly addictive yet cheap drug.

What shocked the approximately 150 people, including many families,
who attended a presentation Jan. 18 at the 100 Mile Community Hall is
the way it ravages users.

RCMP drug expert, Cpl. Paul Collister, came down from Prince George
to host the session with the local RCMP.

What he had to offer was a glimpse into the impacts of the drug,
thanks to slide and video presentations that held nothing back.

The drug swept through rural America in the past decade because it is
so addictive and it's making its way north.

"We don't have as big a problem yet," he said.

The drug was first synthesized in 1919 by a Japanese chemist who
discovered how to mix amphetamine with red phosphorous and iodine.

It was used as a nasal decongestant in the 1930s but became an
illicit, recreational drug in the 1960s, when biker gangs started to
get into meth production.

The Allies and Axis powers gave doses to their military during World War II.

Using meth increases the speed at which people can perform but their
accuracy plummets, as does the appetite.

The drug is exuded through the pores. There's also the acne, sores
and a foul stench.

The body temperature can spike to 108 or 110 degrees Fahrenheit,
resulting in convulsions and sometimes death. There is also the
possibility of heart failure and heart attacks.

Long term use leads to high blood pressure, insomnia for days on end,
a loss of desire to eat or drink, rapid heart beat, suspicion and paranoia.

People coming off the drug become suicidal.

Users are also prone to violence.

Society is ill-equipped to deal with this drug and its users. When
people land in emergency rooms, they are often put into the locked
psychiatric section until the high ends. There were insufficient
substance abuse treatment beds before crystal meth became a problem,
Collister said.

Users experience hallucinations, because the drug affects the central
nervous system.

"Costs the same -- lasts 10 times as long," Collister explained.

Since meth is cooked up in kitchens, barns, bath-rooms, shops and
elsewhere, each batch is its own toxic sludge. No one knows the
long-term mental and physical effects.

"If anyone thinks they can trust their dealer, they're wrong," he said.