MORE POISON THAN DRUG

Part 1

It's known by numerous names: crank, ice, zip, to name a few.

It's been making news headlines lately but it's not a new drug.

It's methamphetamine or crystal meth.

The drug has been the focal point of studies and initiatives lately, and
next Tuesday evening the City of Chilliwack will be playing host to a
community forum on how the city can keep the drug out. Organizers say that
while the drug has not spread rapidly yet in the community, when they look
at what's happened in other areas of the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley,
they want to stop it before it gets a stranglehold.

"What we notice all over the Fraser Valley is that there's been a
substantial increase," says Angela Marshall, one of the speakers at next
week's forum. "It's really important for us as a community to be educated."

Marshall works as an alcohol and drug counsellor for the Fraser House
Society and for Sto:lo Nation, and she has seen a rise in the use of the
drug in recent years.

The drug has a long history. It dates back to the late 1800s, and through
the 20th century the drug was given to fighter pilots to keep them alert.
It was popular as a diet suppressant in the 1950s.

In recent years it has been gaining popularity in part because it can be
synthesized from a number of ingredients that are easy to find at the
retail level, especially pharmacies or hardware stores. There are basic
components such as iodine and ephedrines or pseudoephedrines, found in cold
medication.

"It can be done with very basic materials," says Marshall. "All of the
materials are legal and easy to find."

Meth typically can contain a number of other chemicals, such as red
phosphorous, acetone, muriatic acid, sulfuric acid, battery acid,
antifreeze, lye, drain cleaner and camp stove fuel.

Ultimately, a batch can be cooked up relatively quickly. It's also cheap,
and therein lies part of the answer for why it's taken off in popularity in
recent years. For every $100 of costs, the return is $2,800 on the street,
says Marshall.

It also gives users a longer high than stimulants such as cocaine. While
some can last up to 12 hours, it's more typical the duration is somewhere
between four and six hours, according to Dr. Johan Wouterloot, another
speaker at the city's forum. Much depends on the method of use.
Methamphetamine can be smoked, snorted, injected or swallowed. It is
considered highly addictive and extremely difficult to treat.

Wouterloot is a family physician who has worked with substance use
disorders since 1996. He also works with a methadone clinic for users
addicted to heroin. He says it is becoming more common to see many patients
also coming in because of crystal meth.

"We see quite a bit of methamphetamine addiction as well as heroin
addiction," he said.

While users might think their brain is working overtime and they are
accomplishing endless tasks, the reality is otherwise, as they typically
repeat the same job without getting anything done.

Then there is the problem of what happens when the high wears off. Says
Marshall, "People on meth hit bottom a lot faster because meth is more of a
poison than a drug....No one ever talks about the down side of meth if they
want you to use it."

Hitting bottom can mean sickness, depression, anger and guilt, all of which
can become a cycle, according to Marshall.

Short-term side effects include tremors, excessive talking, dry mouth,
scabbing, nervousness, paranoia, irritability, insomnia and convulsions. It
can also prove fatal or over time lead to brain damage, lung disorders,
blood clots, psychosis, malnutrition, immune deficiencies and formication,
a sensation which makes users feel as if bugs are crawling over their skin.

Still, the drug's use is catching on. Marshall cites some recent Fraser
Health Authority numbers among young people asking for addiction treatment.
Marijuana was used by 72 per cent coming in while alcohol was second at 61
per cent. Methamphetamine had passed cocaine for third though, at 32 per
cent versus 29 per cent. Others included hallucinogens at 22 per cent and
heroin at five per cent.

Many suggest the drug is becoming an 'epidemic'. However, a recent article
in the Vancouver Sun suggested that while the drug poses dangers, the rate
of use is not extensive and that when the media use terms like epidemic
this only obscures the nature of the problem.

Wouterloot responds that while a relatively small portion of the population
uses the drug, the meth problem can accurately be termed an epidemic
because its use rates have risen dramatically in a short space of time. He
says the term can aptly be used when a drug suddenly gains popularity,
citing as examples the use of LSD in the 1960s and opium or the drink
absinthe in the late 19th and early 20th century.

There may be debate as to whether meth is an epidemic, but what is clear is
that it is an addiction. Unlike heroin, which can be treated with
methadone, methamphetamine does not yet have a chemical form of treatment,
although there are trial drugs in development. However, crystal meth
addicts can get help, according to Wouterloot.

"It is a treatable addiction but there is no medication," he said. "The
treatment is behavioural therapy."

Typically it is a lengthy process, eventually requiring maintenance
treatment but starting with the first phase of getting someone clean.

"It usually takes about nine months to overcome an addiction," Wouterloot said.

* The Community Forum on Crystal Meth takes place at the Cheam Room of
Evergreen Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 11, from 7 to 9:30 p.m.