CRYSTAL METH FORUM PROVIDES HARSH LESSONS

The horrifying realities of crystal methamphetimine addiction were
made crystal clear last Wednesday [Nov. 16] at a special forum held in
Harrison Hot Springs.

A slide show presented by RCMP Cst. Shane Holmquist shocked the
audience with photos of users physically ravaged by years of crystal
meth addiction. One image showed the results of prolonged
self-mutilation by an addict obsessed with picking at his forearm.

The Memorial Hall audience of more than 100 people also heard from two
former users, Agassiz-Harrison Community Services Drug and Alcohol
Addictions Councillor Bill Turner and other speakers, who hammered
home the importance of education and intervention to curb the
proliferation of crystal meth and other drugs in this community.

"It's important we start looking at it and learning about it," Turner
said, warning that Agassiz and Harrison will likely see the drug
problems of Hope and Chilliwack get squeezed into this area.

Afterward, Turner praised the turnout.

"We've been doing this for several months and now we are seeing the
rewards of our efforts just slowly beginning to come out," he said,
noting the many municipal candidates who were present. "We have
crossed into new areas ... we are stepping into the political arena
which is vital, and come December I intend to do some sort of
presentation to both councils in Harrison and Agassiz."

During his presentation, RCMP Cst. Al Luelo said there are three
suspected crystal meth 'labs' in Kent. It's simple to make and cheap
to buy. The ingredients can be found in many automotive shops and drug
stores. They include drain cleaner, iodine, battery acid, brake fluid
and red phosphorus - "things you would never put into your body."

Yet collectively they produce what is emerging as a popular club drug.
Crystal meth is sold in tiny doses called 'points' and provides its
user with a high that can last for three days. Its multiple
side-effects last much longer, however. Luelo described long-term
users as "the walking dead." Weight-loss, drawn appearance, brain
damage and respiratory problems are just some examples of the physical
fall-out.

He also pointed to the many concerns related to the drug's production.
The stew of corrosives and solvents that is cooked to make the drug
fills its environment with deadly chemicals that pose the threat of
combustion. Luelo notes one case in which a house where crystal meth
was being produced exploded, destroying it and three neighbouring homes.

"If the 'lab' was in your neighbourhood, there would be health
concerns for other residents because of the chemicals," he said.

They are also a lure for more criminal activity and can negatively
impact surrounding house values.

Luelo urged the audience to "be nosy" and to look for signs that
nearby houses might contain 'labs.' Report anything suspicious to
police, he said, including people arriving or leaving at different
times in the evening, blacked-out windows, paranoid or odd behaviour
and strange odours.

Agassiz high school Vice-Principal Patsy Graham talked about the
importance of educating students about crystal meth and other drugs.

She said the drug problem in her school is primarily with marijuana
and alcohol. She and Principal David Starr often patrol around the
school and in front of the adjacent public library to curb use.

She also praised the school's Career and Personal Planning program and
the RCMP's DARE program for their positive influences on students.

Turner introduced two former users. Marlo Webster, introduced to
Observer readers last month in a crystal meth feature, shared her
four-year addiction with the audience. She candidly talked about
almost burning her Harrison apartment down when she was high, pawning
her mother's jewellery to obtain money for drugs, racking thousands of
kilometres on her father's car driving her drug dealer back and forth
to Vancouver, and nearly losing control of her vehicle when her hands
seized on the steering wheel.

"Marlo is awesome," remarked Turner. "You would not consider her, at
one year clean, to do what she's doing, never mind what I would like
to see her go even further with.

"If I had my way, she'd be going to school for a year for a one-year
child youth care certificate. If she does that, she'll possibly become
a school liaison worker."

A second former user, Steve Chan, talked about his 10-year addiction
to myriad drugs. He said he was oblivious to what he was doing to
himself even as friends and loved ones worried. He lived in a glass
bottle and forgot how to live normally.

But, he explains, the people who believed in him eventually taught him
to believe in himself and led him down the path to recovery. He has
been clean for seven years, is an executive at a successful downtown
Vancouver business and owns several cars.

Regarding addicts, he said: "There is hope for them. They are people.
They need to be shown they are responsible for themselves."