METH IN OUR MADNESS?

Police Say The Drug Is Making Inroads In Ontario

A "devastating" drug wreaking havoc in western Canada is creeping east
to Ontario, where police are bracing for the inevitable arrival of
crystal meth.

"It is going to happen, and when it does, it will be a drug that will
be abused in our part of the province," OPP Det. Sgt. Rick Barnum warned.

Barnum said Ontario has remained largely untouched by the impacts of
methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant that has gripped British
Columbia and other provinces.

However, recent evidence shows that the drug is now making its way
here.

Police in Ontario last year raided 25 meth labs, more than double the
number uncovered in 2003.

"We always heard it would come into Ontario from west to east, and
everything we have seen so far shows that is true," he added.

Drawing on his own observations of common trends in drug use, Barnum
said interest in a particular drug often begins in one region before
spreading to another.

The sudden popularity of "speed" in Chatham and other southern Ontario
communities a decade ago, for example, arrived without so much as a
whiff of interest in larger cities to the east, including Ottawa, he
said.

"It seems to be a regional thing, but take no comfort in that," added
Barnum, who was working in the Chatham area at the time. "I think the
province of Ontario is still going to have some issues in the coming
years, whether in the form of (meth) labs or in the form of use."

In June, a 13-month investigation into methamphetamine trafficking led
to the arrest of several people in the counties of Bruce, Grey, Huron
and Perth.

According to Barnum, officers tasked with dismantling crystal meth
labs are entering a volatile environment, surrounded by explosive
solvents and other chemicals used in the manufacturing process.

So-called "birch" labs, which allow producers to manufacture small
batches of the drug in a confined space, are becoming more frequent,
he said.

"You can do it in the back of a pickup truck or in a closet in your
house," he added.

Selling for roughly $100 a gram, crystal meth has the appearance of an
ice chip, and provides a high that lasts eight to 12 hours.

Long-term use can lead to hallucinations, delusions, paranoia and
bizarre and violent behaviour.

It can be smoked, or crushed into powder form and snorted.

On rare occasions, it is injected.

"It is a crippling drug and will absolutely devastate the community,"
said Barnum, who oversees anti-drug operations for Huronia, Toronto
and Peterborough.

In his mind, the key to combating its spread in Ontario, apart from
the obvious use of enforcement, is "education, education and education.

"It is absolutely devastating on the brain and body, and it is
extremely addictive," he added.

While marijuana remains the most widely used drug in Ontario, police
are reporting growing use of crack cocaine, both here and across the
province.

Orillia OPP recently seized four ounces of the smokable drug, along
with a small quantity of marijuana, from a home on Westmount Drive.

As a result of the investigation, four adults were charged with a
variety of offenses, and two teens were placed in the care of the
Children's Aid Society.