'CRYSTAL DEATH'

Crystal Meth Seminar Designed to Help Bring Awareness

COLD LAKE -- Going under many names -- "ice", "jib", "crystal", "crank",
among others -- it's quickly emerging as the number one drug problem around
the world.

Crystal methamphetamine's (crystal meth) history is long, being used as a
stimulant by the Nazis in the second World War and even as a relaxant by
physicians shortly after.

But the newest version of the drug is quickly taking over as the users'
drug of choice, something RCMP Constable Lise Bradette hoped to bring to
light during a conference at the Cold Lake Health Unit on Dec. 2.

Sponsored by the Community Health Council, the seminar saw well over fifty
school teachers, health officials, employers and concerned parents come to
learn about the drug, its effects, and how to recognize its symptoms.

"Crystal meth is the number one drug problem in the world," Cst. Bradette
told those gathered, pointing out it's "way cheaper than cocaine and that
drug is easy to make."

Cst. Bradette told how although the problem isn't as big here as in cities
like Edmonton, it is catching up. Part of the problem is the ease in making
it, as it can be manufactured in the back of a car.

It's that mobility that also poses one of the biggest challenges for the
police, as someone making the drug can literally be gone in minutes, as
well as having easy access to the ingredients.

"You can download probably 150 different recipes from the internet," Cst.
Bradette noted, adding that all the ingredients are readily available at
any hardware store.

Along with a very graphic video outlining some worst case scenarios, Cst.
Bradette gave the podium to "Amber", a recovering crystal meth addict.

Amber's sobering story of how she got hooked on the drug, what it took to
kick the habit, the related horrors she saw and her long road to recovery
helped drill home the message to avoid crystal meth at all costs.

"I've been clean now for eighteen months," Amber said. "But there isn't a
time that I don't dream about crystal meth."

Following a question and answer session, Cst. Bradette said she was
"pleasantly surprised" at the turnout for the conference, only reiterating
the importance of education on the problem. She added that she thinks the
message hopefully sunk in, judging from the reactions on people's faces.