FEDS RAISE PENALTIES FOR CRYSTAL METH OFFENCES TO POSSIBLE LIFE IN PRISON

HANOVER -- The federal government answered calls last week for stiffer
penalties for cooking, selling and possessing crystal meth. The maximum
penalty for the trafficking and manufacturing of methamphetamine will go
from 10 years to life in prison in Canada.

Anyone caught in possession of methamphetamine will face a maximum sentence
of seven years, instead of three years.

The announcement was made last Thursday by health and justice ministers.

Last week, The Post reported the imbalance of sentencing when it comes to
methamphetamine. Until now, those charged with marijuana faced much tougher
penalties than charges for crystal meth -- a dangerously addictive drug that
has been growing in popularity across North America, including Grey and
Bruce counties.

Crystal meth has been called a rural problem by many, lending to the
necessity of sparsely populated areas for "cooking" the drug, due to the
highly corrosive, flammable and explosive process.

Rural areas are also convenient for those cooking crystal meth because of
the availability of an important ingredient in the drug -- anhydrous
ammonia, a liquid fertilizer used by many farmers.

The gas is routinely stolen from farms, with recipes calling for a small
amount of it.

The stiffer penalties announced last week bring crystal meth in line with
offences involving heroin and cocaine.

"I'm very glad they've taken this step," said Hanover Police Chief Tracy
David in an interview this week.

"It shows that the government is recognizing the seriousness of this drug."

However, David added, this is only the first step. "The provincial
government needs to step up to the plate," she said. "We need more treatment
facilities and counsellors who can deal with the people who've been affected
by crystal meth.

"This is a great first step, but there is still a lot to be done yet."

Indeed, while there are now more allowances for sentencing criminals for
trafficking and producing methamphetamine, services for helping those left
in the drug's wake are extremely lacking.

Methamphetamine is said to be addictive from the first hit. It brings an
intense high, and a high can last from a few days to a week or more, by
continuing to take the drug. New users quickly become addicted to the point
of needing the drug to continue to function, and to avoid the ensuing crash.
A crash can see an individual sleep it off for several days.

Users of crystal meth in its many forms often go without food or sleep for
long periods of time, lasting for up to a week or more without sleep.
Amphetamine stimulates the central nervous system. It increases the amount
of dopamine (a hormone in the brain).

Some negative effects include hyperactivity, nausea, aggressiveness,
irritability and sleeplessness. Taken long-term, in high doses, it can cause
irreversible damage to one's body.

It can cause damage to lung, kidney, heart and liver, as well as causing
brain damage, depression, permanent psychological problems, violent and
aggressive behaviour, extreme weight loss, behaviour that resembles paranoid
schizophrenia, malnutrition, stroke and death.

The consequences of using crystal meth can include increasingly violent
crime -- including assault, sexual abuse and homicide -- and property
crimes.

As we've examined in The Post over the past 12 weeks, the use of crystal
meth can have disastrous effects on the individuals who abuse it, their
families and the communities in which they live.

Crystal meth use, trafficking and production has kept local police
increasingly busy over the past year, and this still relatively new drug is
growing in popularity.

While it was once known as "speed" a number of years ago, the ingredients
and the process of cooking the drug have changed, creating a new poison that
is affecting a younger group of users.

It was a parent's concern about their teenager that led The Post to examine
this drug, its effects and what can be done, and through talking to other
parents and individuals in southern Grey and Bruce counties, it is evident
that the drug is here in our communities.

A public meeting held in Hanover in June in response to local need saw an
incredible 400 people attend to learn about crystal meth and its effects.
From that meeting, a mayor's task force has been created in Hanover to
examine what can be done locally and to look into the feasibility of
advocating for some sort of care facility to help crystal meth addicts.

A massive drug bust in Grey, Bruce, Huron and Perth netted, among other
drugs, 1,680.57 grams of methamphetamine and 38 arrests. That was the result
of 13 months of undercover investigation by the OPP -- proof that something
is, indeed, being done to combat the insurgence of methamphetamine in this
area.

Raising awareness in the communities we serve has helped our readers to
realize the seriousness of crystal meth. It has also revealed the very grave
need for rehabilitation services for those who have been caught in the
methamphetamine web.

Locally, there is no in-house rehabilitation facility for addicts,
especially teen addicts, and in places where there are facilities, the
waiting lists are prohibitively long.

As parents of crystal meth addicts have told us, there is a window of
opportunity when an addict agrees to get help, and they need that help
immediately. When they have to wait weeks or months for treatment, the
likelihood that they will return to the streets, and the drug, is eminent.

While The Post's series ends this week, this is definitely not the end of
the story. We will continue to follow new developments in the fight against
crystal meth.

As Chief David said, tougher sentencing is only the first step. There's
still a long, upward battle to forge.

The monster is still among us.