'ALARMING' FIND: METH USED AT SCHOOL BY 7% OF STUDENTS

Seven per cent of Surrey's secondary students have used crystal meth at
school, according to a district survey released this week.

"It's alarming. I don't know that I was prepared to see that number," said
Theresa Campbell, the school district's Safe Schools manager.

The survey asked 14,000 students in Surrey's 18 secondary schools about
their drug and alcohol use during the 2004/2005 school year.

Nine per cent, or 1,260 students, said they had used crystal meth off
school grounds, while seven per cent, about 980 students, admitted to using
the highly addictive drug on school property.

But the most disturbing answers came from Surrey's youngest high school
students. According to Campbell, four per cent of Grade 8s and three per
cent of Grade 9s said they used crystal meth more than once a week.

"I'm hoping that (hearing) these numbers will help awaken parents to the
seriousness of the usage. If those students are making those choices in
Grade 8, we've got to make sure we get to them in the earlier grades," she
said, adding that the district plans to expand its drug awareness programs
in Surrey's elementary schools.

"We're taking it seriously because it's a dead serious problem," said
school board chairman Shawn Wilson.

"It's concerning that students are using crystal meth at all, whether
they're on school property or not."

Wilson said recent school district projects like the Protecting Surrey
Schools Together (PSST) website, which allows students to report incidents
of drug use and bullying anonymously, will lessen drug use among Surrey's
school-aged kids.

"Next time we conduct a survey I think we'll see better results."

Campbell said the district will continue to work with the Surrey RCMP's
youth section to stop drug dealers from preying on students.

"The Surrey RCMP have played a big part in addressing youth that may be
potentials for dealing around school," she said.

Chief Supt. Fraser MacCrae of the Surrey RCMP said meth use among young
people is the "scariest" part of Surrey's meth problem.

"These are people who haven't had a chance to make a lot of the big choices
in their lives doing something that's extremely dangerous," said McCrae in
a Now interview.

In Victoria last month, 13-year-old Mercedes-Rae Clarke died after
ingesting what is believed to be crystal meth.

The survey also asked students about their marijuana use; 20 per cent said
they had used pot during the last school year, and 14 per cent said they
had purchased drugs on school property. The results were roughly the same
as those of a similar 2002 survey.

Surrey's crystal meth task force is hosting a public forum on crystal meth
use Oct. 20 at the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey. The task force,
which recently received a $10,000 grant from the city, aims to educate the
public on the dangers of crystal meth and convince local businesses to
monitor or limit the sale of meth ingredients.