FIGHT BACK AGAINST DRUGS

It's time for Labrador West residents to take off the blinders and
look at the monster staring them in the face.

Drugs are a problem in our community. It's been avoided, played down
and ignored long enough; now we have to take action.

A crystal meth presentation at the Arts and Culture Centre Sept. 17-18
threw drug use in the face of everyone who attended, and while it
didn't focus on local statistics, it showed what can happen when drug
use is ignored.

Mark and Ruth McLaughlin have lived, breathed and cursed crystal
meth.

The drug stole their 14-year-old daughter from them for over a year
and it was 12 months too long for the parents from Victoria, BC.
Instead of bemoaning their daughter's choices and writing her
off--like let's face it many parents do--they decided to hold on to
her for dear life and get her back from the clutches of crystal meth.

They, with the help of other parents like them, started a now
registered charity and non-profit organization dedicated to educating,
enforcing and treating people living with crystal meth. Their story,
while heartbreaking, is one of hope.

After a year-long struggle with their daughter running away, getting
kicked out of school, and living on the streets of downtown Victoria
doing who-knows-what to support her habit, their now 17-year-old is
back home, going to school and holding down a part-time job.

The road to recovery was bumpy though. The young girl didn't come home
until she needed medical attention after getting into a physical
altercation with a much-older man. Her eye needed surgery, she could
have lost her vision, but to her parents the fight got their child
home long enough to get the detox she needed to kick crystal meth.

The parents pointed out, in their presentation, their story ended
happily; others aren't so lucky.

In an 18-minute video entitled Death by Jib, Lab. West residents were
treated to a highly emotional saga of the horrors of crystal meth. It
showed real-life addicts talking about what they do for their drug of
choice and how it affects their lives.

A teen, no more than 15 years old, talked about how she turned to
prostitution for her next fix; an older meth addict explained how she
lost all her teeth to meth mouth; a young man said if he had known the
consequences of crystal meth, he never would have went near the drug.

The stories pulled at the heartstrings of everyone in attendance, but
the most devastating piece came from the mother of a former addict.

Kerry's son, Ryan, was in and out of hospitals for 10 months after
being diagnosed with manic depression. She said he was in his own
personal hell and suspected he sold his body to get access to crystal
meth.

One night he left a message on his mother's answering machine telling
her not to worry, that he was OK and would get "balanced." He cried
that he loved her and said they would walk on the beach. Three weeks
later, he swan-dived off a bridge to his death.

Sobs could be heard throughout the Arts and Culture Centre after that
showing and it's the kind of story no parent ever wants to tell.

Crystal meth is a highly addictive, stimulating methamphetamine. It's
called meth, job, gak, speed, crank, ice, shard, sketch, crystal and
tina and can be snorted, smoked, injected or eaten. It's incredibly
cheap - from $5 to $10 a dose - and after one hit a person can
become addicted.

A great analogy put forward by the McLaughlins explained clearly how
crystal meth affects the brain. Meth gives a feeling of euphoria
because it releases dopamine into the brain.

Say for instance if a person did something good, like get a high score
on a test - that could potentially release 100 parts per million
(ppm) of dopamine. An alcoholic drink releases about 140 ppm and
crack/cocaine releases around 350. Crystal meth surpasses all those
combined with a staggering 1,250 ppm of dopamine.

The euphoria can last for days, but when a person comes down from a
meth high, they crash. Each time it takes more and more meth to get a
high, until eventually addicts never feel good again. The drug, made
with items like Drano, Sudafed, and camping fuel, eats away at a
person's body and mind until they become lost in a sea of drugs.

Do we really want our community, our children, exposed to such a
devastating drug? Obviously the answer is no, but the fact remains
crystal meth is in Labrador West. It isn't rampant, but with such
strong effects it won't be long before it becomes a drug of choice.

In school presentations last week, the McLaughlins said about 12
students raised their hands when asked if they knew anyone crystal
meth involved - that doesn't seem so bad, but when asked if they
knew anyone taking ecstasy, 80 hands shot in the air.

Over 70 per cent of ecstasy in BC tests hot for crystal meth. How long
do you think it will take drug dealers in Lab. West to find out they
can have a whole other clientele by adding a little meth to their
regular supply?

As pointed out by Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin, it is up to the community
to stop drug use in their towns. No one is going to do it for us.
Police forces and health authorities are worked to the bone,
government has other priorities; it's up to the people to be the
driving force.

We need to talk to our politicians, contact our addictions experts and
get educated on drug use in our communities. We need to take that
information, form an organization and fight back.

How many more sad stories need to be told?