COMMUNITY WARNED ABOUT DANGERS OF CRYSTAL METH

"I don't think it's proper to say if your son or daughter tried this once
at 14 or 15, they're hooked for life," Sergeant Dave Henry, drug awareness
coordinator with the RCMP, told the group of concerned community members
who attended a crystal meth information session on Wednesday, March 23 in
Moosomin. "But it is highly addictive. If you do start to try this drug
recreationally, it does lead to cravings and can in turn lead to addiction."

The public information session was organized by the Board of Education of
the Moosomin School Division, which wanted to increase awareness about a
drug that is a growing problem in Saskatchewan. Crystal meth produces a
high that is similar to that produced by cocaine, but the high lasts longer
and the drug is much cheaper. Henry told Wednesday's crowd that on the
streets of Regina and Saskatoon, one-tenth of a gram of crystal meth (the
amount typically used to get one high) is selling for $15 to $25--making it
easily accessible for young people.

In January, the school board sponsored a presentation by a parent who had
lost his son to a drug overdose for Moosomin School Division students. That
presentation was designed to be emotional, in order to convince students to
think twice before experimenting with drugs. Henry's presentation, on the
other hand, was designed to give parents and community members hard facts
about the nature of the drug and its effects.

Crystal meth is a stimulant, Henry told the crowd. It speeds up the
functions of the body and mind and gives users a euphoric rush. However, it
also increases blood pressure, heart and breathing rates, and body
temperature-- which can cause strokes, seizures, and brain damage. Users on
a binge often don't sleep or eat for days or even weeks, leading to extreme
weight loss, fatigue, irritability, and depression.

However, it is when users are coming off their binge that they represent
the most danger to police officers, EMTs, and hospital staff, Henry said.
Called "tweaking," this stage is when users become prone to hallucinations
and paranoid, violent behaviors. "At this stage, they represent a danger to
you because they're not in their right mind," Henry said.

The paranoid aggression many "tweakers" experience sometimes leads them to
stockpile weapons. "The prevalence of firearms is very common," Henry said.
"It's worrying to those of us in law enforcement."

Part of the reason crystal meth is becoming more prevalent is it is
relatively easy to make using a variety of common chemicals and household
products. "Meth labs" can be set up in apartments, motels, or even
vehicles. However, the process of combining these chemicals is so dangerous
that the "cooks" are occasionally found dead-- the victims of fire,
explosions, or toxic gas poisoning.

Henry gave the crowd a list of signs to look for to determine if someone
might be a crystal meth addict, including teeth grinding, body odor,
rotting teeth, and scars and open sores caused by addicts scratching at
imaginary "bugs" on their skin. He emphasized that crystal meth is not the
most addictive drug out there--however, if you do become addicted, the
chances of getting clean are very slim. "Only six per cent of addicts get
and stay sober--the lowest rate for any drug," Henry said.

Henry told the concerned parents of teenagers at the meeting that so far,
crystal meth use is more prevalent among 20-somethings than it is among
teenagers. He also said that Saskatchewan does not yet have the problem
with the drug that the United States is experiencing. However, crystal meth
use is spreading, partly because of society's attitudes.

"We live in a society where drug use is pretty normalized," Henry said.
"It's not as big a taboo as it was 20 or 30 years ago." However, Henry
wanted the crowd at Wednesday's meeting to know that crystal meth--no
matter how cheap or readily available it becomes--is nothing to play around
with.