A NOSE FOR TROUBLE

Meth Users And Meth Labs May Soon Both Be Sniffed Out In
Alberta.

Pending approvals and final proof it works, cutting-edge technology
will be imported by two government ministries - Education and the
Solicitor General - in a major, two-pronged attack on the spread of
crystal methamphetamine, the Sun has learned.

Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko said federal Public Safety Minister
Anne McLellan last Tuesday suggested the province would be invited
into a jointly funded pilot project using technology that will detect
meth labs by scent.

"I strenuously urged her to enter into that pilot with us," Cenaiko
said. "It's a tremendous opportunity to deal with a major problem."

Production of methamphetamine is notoriously dangerous, but also
dangerously simple. The drug can be produced in massive "superlabs,"
or in portable labs that can be set up in a vehicle.

"The challenge of finding these labs can't be overstated," Cenaiko
said. "We know they're out there, but we never seem to know where.
This could change that."

Cenaiko told the Sun he simply can't describe the technology because
it hasn't been fully explained to him. However, "apparently, so far,
it works."

Education Minister Gene Zwozdesky also cautioned that the skin- and
scent-based test he's eyeing must still be proven to him on cost and
accuracy grounds.

But, he said, "it's quite phenomenal."

He too does not yet have complete details. "I was going to announce it
right after session - in a couple of weeks - because I'm just not
ready with those details."

However, in a matter of just weeks, the issue has leapt from
back-burner to among his top priorities, the minister said.

Recently, Zwozdesky said just over half of Alberta school boards had
identified meth to him as a major issue.

"That was in January, February. But in the last two months now, I have
had so many reports that I feel compelled to move with some
preventative measures and some enforcement measures."

Red Deer MLA Mary Anne Jablonski, who has led the legislature charge
to address the issue of meth-addicted kids, said she's intrigued and
pleased with Zwozdesky's plans.

"I think it's fantastic that we can have a non-invasive test as an
intervention tool."

It's not clear, Jablonski said, whether the test can determine whether
a youth is using meth, or merely has been exposed to chemicals that
may or may not be used to make it.

"But in either case, it's a trigger to start the initial process of
seeing if there's a need to intervene."