METH WATCH PROGRAM WORKING

It's been less than a month since local Shoppers Drug Mart outlets
joined Meth Watch, but at least one local retailer says the program is
already having a positive impact.

"We had a couple of characters in the store who wanted to order
four-litre jugs of rubbing alcohol, and said 'no we can't do that',"
said Brian Martindale, who owns two Shoppers Drug Mart outlets in Victoria.

"Then they said 'Okay, we'll just take 10 of the smaller bottles' and
we said 'we can't do that either.'"

Meth Watch, which started in Kansas in the mid-90s, is a North
America-wide effort to restrict access to meth-making ingredients such
as ephedrine-based cold remedies, paint thinner, iodine, sulfuric or
muriatic acid, red phosphorous, ether, acetone kerosene, iodine and
lithium batteries.

The program, one of a range of initiatives being undertaken by the
recently formed Crystal Meth Victoria Society, is being run locally by
Victoria police Cst. Brad Fraser.

Local Meth Watch co-ordinators build relationships with the businesses
and help store owners train their staff on how to detect unusual purchases.

The BC government has yet to place formal restrictions on crystal meth
ingredients, but workers who spot suspicious purchases have the option
of refusing to sell the materials or simply completing the transaction
and notifying police.

Martindale said since joining Meth Watch, the store's rubbing alcohol
has been moved behind the sales counter and antihistamines such as
Sudafed are displayed within full view of counter staff.

Officials with London Drugs' head office in Richmond said the pharmacy
chain runs an internal meth reduction strategy consisting of education
materials posted on the company web site, sales limits on items that
can be used to make crystal meth and screening of suspicious customers.

"They were among the first retail chain to do something back in late
2004, but I couldn't tell you exactly what they do," said national
Meth Watch co-ordinator Gerry Harrington.

Meth Watch also works with hardware stores such as Home Depot and Home
Hardware that sell meth-making materials.

Some chains allow local managers to decide whether they want to
participate, while others make that determination out of head office.

Gary Candy, owner of the Central Saanich Home Hardware outlet, said
his store has yet to be contacted by Meth watch.

"I haven't been approached by anyone with the program, so I'd need to
find out what they're asking," Candy said. "I'm in business to sell
products but at the same time we have a moral obligation to society -
I'd like to know more about it."

Crystal Meth Victoria is also monitoring crystal meth-related court
cases in an effort to determine how crystal meth is influencing crime
in the Capital Region.

The court watch program, as it is known, will collect data on crystal
meth-related crimes, track what happens to youth within the justice
system and make recommendations on how police and Crown counsel can
most effectively respond to crystal meth users in the justice system.

Both Meth Watch and the Court Watch program are part of a community
task force created by the Crystal Meth Victoria Society in conjunction
with School District 61. The task force features 12 different
committees working in three main areas - education, enforcement and
addiction treatment.

The 12 committees are scheduled to present 90-day action plans to the
task force.