EDUCATION ON METH ADDICTION

Nanton News -- Constable Mary French hasn't been in Nanton for very long
and has already spotted an issue she is all too familiar with.

Some of her first days on the job involved crystal methamphetamine addicts.

French addressed the town's emergency services personnel at the Nanton Fire
Hall, regarding the presence of the drug in Nanton July 21.

She spoke about her professional encounters with users and brought in a DVD
filmed in Alberta, entitled Crystal Meth -- Straight up.

"I am sad to say that meth is here," said French, " But this is a small
community and I think if we educate people really quickly on the signs of a
meth user than hopefully we can quickly get a hold of this before it
becomes a real problem."

Previously French worked at the St. Albert dispatch where she said the drug
was an alarming concern.

"I had not dealt with a meth user my first year there," said French. "Then
they seemed to come out of the woodwork with 90 per cent of the complaints
being meth-related."

Some of the signs to watch for are paranoia, weight loss. A skin condition
covering their bodies that resembles acne, depression, and odour.

"When I have a meth user in my car," said French, "I literally have to air
my car out for a couple of days because their body starts to rot."

She says while the problem isn't at a point where there is cause for alarm,
awareness is needed to ensure the problem is quickly swept out of town.