AWARENESS KEY TO DRUG BATTLE

The menace of crystal meth is spreading across British Columbia.

Use of the drug - a form of methamphetamine known as ice or glass - has
expanded into all parts of the province, including the South Okanagan.

It is not only among the most addictive drugs available, but also easily
produced as key ingredients can be purchased at local hardware stores and
mixed together in the most rudimentary facilities.

The number of users is likely to increase, with experts saying that the
growing popularity of the drug in Asia is a sign of things to come in North
America.

The growing threat posed by the drug's popularity to the well-being of
British Columbians has forced health care workers, police and social
service providers to confront crystal meth with increased vigour.

Coinciding with National Drug Awareness week, experts from across Western
Canada are meeting in Vancouver to find ways to combat the spread of the drug.

Locally, Pathways: Addictions Resource Centre held a forum Monday night to
discuss the drug and its devastating effects on users. Effects include,
among others, a severe state of anxiety, mental confusion, depression and
permanent psychotic symptoms.

The mental and physical toll of crystal meth on its users is perhaps only
matched by its impact on society at large.

According to several reports, the recent death of three men on the
Penticton Indian Band reserve may have been linked to the drug. Local law
officials also suggest a strong connection between local crime rates and
crystal meth.

It has gained a foothold in almost every part of society, including those
most vulnerable to its appeal and effects: youth, especially young women
who - faced with pressure to look and act a certain way - have turned to
the drug.

So what is to be done? The answer to that question is perhaps as complex as
the factors that contribute to the problem in the first place. Perhaps the
most important step in addressing the problem is to talk about it.

Raising awareness about crystal meth through specific events like this
crystal meth summit in Vancouver and general events like National Drug
Awareness Week will alert all concerned - parents, educators and
politicians among them - to the effects of the drugs.

There is - as they say - nothing more dangerous than ignorance.

Any strategy will also likely require a strong police component aimed at
the right target.

The provincial drug trade is the domain of organized crime and police must
have the resources to punish those who profit from human misery through
enmeshing their victims in web of physical and economic dependency.

Equally important though is prevention, which in the long run is likely to
save more lives and resources than any other available tool. Parents,
educators and community leaders have to lead the way in that effort.

Crystal meth is a scourge that affects everybody and it will take a
combined effort to defeat it.