METH GROUP MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

It's crystal clear that the Oceanside Community Crystal Meth Task
Force has accomplished all they can as a group, and it's time they
call it quits, says chair Kevin Wilson.

"As of January 31st, we've achieved as much as we're going to
achieve," says Wilson, making the announcement on Wednesday. What
they've accomplished in the five months they've been at it he adds,
is a lot, especially when considering the challenges faced along the way.

"We have achieved so much, we've got kids off the streets, we've got
programs running," says Wilson.

Based on the Maple Ridge version, the OCCMTF had to recreate their
organizational plan to adapt to Vancouver Island and the Oceanside
community in particular. That plan is now helping task forces
springing up in Nanaimo and Victoria, adds Wilson.

As far as the three focus categories of education, enforcement and
treatment, the task force has put together initiatives ranging from
the development of a local recovery bed network, to free lecture and
information nights.

They've also released a resource directory for people dealing with
addictions, started a parent support group and an addict support
group, as well as opened youth centre connections through an
education-focused night and afternoon outreach time.

They've put together the training for volunteer street outreach work
so people can be in contact with young users who are not often going
home and they've begun working with the City of Parksville to develop
a bylaw that will deter rental properties from becoming meth lab sites.

The Meth Watch program, which educates stores about potential
ingredients for the drug, is up and running.

The only goal they've left behind, says Wilson, is education of
students through schools. The development of that initiative though
has been taken on by School District 69 (Qualicum) and is ongoing.

The biggest accomplishment, says Wilson, is the ongoing development
of two recovery beds in the Oceanside area.

With $80,000 brought together by three partners (Society of Organized
Services, Ministry of Children and Family Development, and Vancouver
Island Health Authority), two homes will be able to give recovering
addicts a place to stay until they're on their feet again. The
standards and guidelines have been developed, and an advertisement is
already running to find the homes -a selection process being
organized by the ministry.

It's important that people know, adds Wilson, that the task force was
meant to get these things started, but not meant to stay together
once they were on their way.

All of the programs that have been launched will continue, he adds -
as well as advocacy for Island-wide initiatives such as mid-Island
detox beds for youth.

"We're not going to drop that, and we're going to keep moving forward
- -I'm not giving up."

The Jan. 31, 2006 date has been chosen so final steps can be taken to
tie up loose ends, says Wilson.

"We're at a point now when we need to finish some outstanding issues,
we've set a date for January 31, at that point, we'll have a full
report on what the task force has achieved."