DRUG WORKSHOP PACKS LEGION

AFM Counsellor, Former Addicts Warn Of The Dangers Of Crystal Meth, Other Drugs

Lac du Bonnet residents got a first-hand account of the potential horrors
of a popular drug March 23, when the town's Youth Recreation Centre hosted
a workshop on the dangers of crystal meth.

The hall of the LdB Legion was packed with young and old alike, who came to
hear representatives from the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba and Teen
Challenge talk about crystal methamphetamine -- or crystal meth -- a street
drug local RCMP say is on the rise in the North Eastman region.

The workshop, called "Not My Child," began with a presentation from Terry
Harapiak, rehabilitation counsellor for AFM's Beausejour office.

Harapiak began by discussing the history of methamphetamine -- a
cocaine-like central nervous system stimulant that has made its share of
headlines in the area over the past several months.

Harapiak discussed crystal meth's origins in Nazi Germany, where it was
used to fuel soldiers and keep them going without the need for food or sleep.

"They found out it was really good for keeping people on their toes all the
time," Harapiak said. Crystal meth has come a long way since the days of
the Second World War.

The drug has made its way into Canada over the last few years, and in
August, North Dakota law enforcement officials warned Manitoba police that
the drug could be making its way into the province from the northern states.

A month later, Lac du Bonnet RCMP raided the town's Trans Canada Fitness
location as part of a nationwide methamphetamine bust.

Harapiak said unlike alcohol, which is regulated by the government, crystal
meth is a highly unreliable drug, and users have no way of knowing what
they are getting.

"The guys making this stuff are not graduated chemists," he said. "They're
not scientists."

Late last year, Cpl. Stu Evans of Lac du Bonnet RCMP told the Leader
samples of seized crystal meth have been found to contain engine fluid,
ammonia, battery acid and Drano, to name only a few ingredients.

These chemicals are used to 'cut' the drug in order to produce large
amounts for a low cost. Harapiak said it is the drug's dangerous
ingredients that make it potentially devastating and highly addictive for
people that use it -- having the potential to cause brain damage.

"It's becoming frighteningly clear that your brain chemistry might never be
normal again (with heavy use)," Harapiak said

First-hand accounts

The audience also heard from three young men -- representing Teen Challenge
- -- about the damage drugs such as crystal meth can cause.

Teen Challenge is a faith-based organization offering vocational, academic,
and spiritual training to men with alcohol and drug problems.

"I'm glad to see the young people here tonight," said 29-year-old Dean
Thomas, a father of three and a former cocaine addict.

Thomas spoke to a hushed crowd about how drugs almost destroyed his marriage.

"The intensity you get from the drug the first time doesn't compare to the
depression that comes later," he said.

Nineteen-year-old Earl Hildebrand spoke about his battle with crystal meth
while growing up in small town Manitoba.

"Being from a small town, there's not much to do," he said. "But one thing
we did have was a good youth centre."

Hildebrand said he resorted to bank fraud to pay for his drug habit, and
had some stern warnings for the young people in the audience.

"I didn't even think I was addicted to drugs," he said. "But when I closed
my eyes, all I could see was a pipe and a lighter."

But Hildebrand said being off drugs and speaking to people about his
experiences is the best possible outcome of such a devastating habit.

"It's an amazing feeling, feeling good about myself without being on a
drug," he said.

Youth centre coordinator Cheryl Larson said around 120 people attended the
workshop, and she was very pleased how it went.

"The kids at the centre really made a connection," she said. "The parents
told me the kids went home and talked about it for hours."

Larson said another workshop is being planned for next year.