METH LATEST PUBLIC PLAGUE

With the number of meth labs in southern Ontario growing, local drug
enforcement officials are worried the problem could trickle north.

Det. Const. Andre Chenier with the OPP drug enforcement section, said
the problem isn't widespread in Timmins, but it does exist.

"To say it's not here would be false," Chenier said. "More and more
meth (amphetamin) labs are coming into the province in the North and
the south."

Ingredients for crystal meth can be purchased at hardware stores and
pharmacies, and instructions on how to manufacture crystal meth are
readily available on the Internet, Chenier said.

"It's something that's not pharmaceutically made so you don't know
what's going in it," Chenier said.

First time use can be addictive and even deadly, he
said.

A meth lab can be created for about $150 and churn out a $10,000
profit.

It's also relatively cheap to buy, Chenier said, with hits selling for
around $10 to $15.

In low doses, methamphetamines can be used to treat attention deficit
disorder and narcolepsy.

In higher doses, it induces a rush followed by increased agitation,
hallucinations, insomnia, confusion, anxiety, paranoia and possible
violence in some users.

Long term use of the drug can damage blood vessels in the brain and
heart, leading to stroke and an irregular heart beat.

The manufacturing of crystal meth can be as lethal as using
it.

Various chemicals, including ammonia, paint thinner, cold medication
containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine and Drano have to be heated
and cooled several times.

"It's extremely unstable," Chenier said.

And those who mix it usually don't have a chemistry
degree.

"The people who make it aren't concerned for your well-being," Chenier
said. "It's not a pharmaceutical drug so you don't know what's going
into it."