14-DAY DRUG BINGE

She hasn't gone to school for a year. She runs from her parents, from her
grandparents, and hangs out at shady motels, going days without sleep

"There's a 14-year-old girl we've been aware of recently in Penticton who's
developed a severe addiction to crystal meth," says Const. Brad Myhre, a
member of the Penticton RCMP's task force

"Crystal meth really seems to get a grip on young people, especially young,
teenage girls for some reason." Myhre spent two years in drug enforcement
in Prince George before his Penticton posting two years ago

"We recently dealt with a young man, 21 years old who had gotten out of
jail about four weeks earlier," he said. "In that four weeks, he related to
me he had stayed up for nine to 14 days without sleeping as a result of
using crystal meth." In that four weeks, he lost about 30 pounds and became
emaciated

The colloquial term for the drug is "speed" and one user equated the
crystal meth experience to drinking 50 cups of coffee in short order.
"These people binge like crazy," said Myhre. "A week, two weeks staying
up." "The most common drugs here in Penticton are cocaine and crystal
methamphetamine," said RCMP Sgt. John Niznikowski, officer in charge of
general investigations at the Penticton detachment

"Our priorities would be crystal meth and cocaine, definitely," said
Niznikowski. "Enforcement will take place over the marijuana -- the grow
operations. But our priorities are cocaine and crystal meth because it does
intertwine with property crime." Theft from vehicles, break-ins, smash and
grabs -- the general rule is property obtained by crime is sold or traded
for drugs, he said. Though ecstasy appears to be gaining a foothold in
Kelowna, it's not common here, said Myhre. "I can think of two or three
instances we've seized it in the last year. That's it." Heroin isn't a big
player in Penticton, either, said Myhre

"We don't see a whole lot of heroin here. In the past year there's been
only one charge for possession of heroin for the purpose of trafficking --
a woman." Crack cocaine is a whole different story

"Crack cocaine is rampant," said Myhre. "There's unlimited cocaine dealers
at any given time. We bust them quite regularly and another one pops up."
In his two years in Penticton, the use of both crystal methamphetamine and
crack cocaine appears to have risen dramatically, in part because
enforcement has been stepped up with three full-time officers

"We've become much more aware of how deep-rooted the problem is here." "Our
task force's three members virtually on a daily basis are investigating
some form of trafficking," said Niznikowski. Crystal methamphetamine is
relatively easy to make, said Myhre

"We don't really hear of any meth labs locally, but I wouldn't doubt there
were local small ones

In larger terms, police say most crystal methamphetamine and cocaine in
Penticton comes from Kelowna or the Lower Mainland. "Organized crime is
behind all cocaine and crystal meth trafficking at some point in the food
chain," said Myhre. "I've got no problem saying they're outlaw motorcycle
gangs." Lower Mainland networks hire local people to traffic for them,
noted Niznikowski

"I guess the answer would seem to be is somehow figure out a way to keep
young people from getting started on it," said Myhre. "You see good kids
who get hooked on it at a young age, and that's it for them. They're done.
They'll rob, steal or lie -- anything to support their addiction."