CRYSTAL METH TARGETED

Cigarettes and crystal meth addictions are the target of the upcoming
addiction awareness week.

A dramatic increase in crystal meth use in junior high and high
schools has caused "tremendous worry" in the local community, said
Murray Wotherspoon, a member of the Prince Albert Addiction Awareness
Committee.

This is the first year crystal meth awareness will be prominently
promoted during Saskatchewan Addiction Awareness Week, a provincewide
initiative that runs Nov. 14-20. Prince Albert has participated in the
awareness week for more than 20 years. The week features several
events aimed at providing information about different addictions

Both cigarettes and crystal meth are recent additions to the local
addictions list. Four years ago, crystal meth was nearly non-existent
in the city.

Today, about one-third of youth seeking addiction counselling have a
problem with crystal meth. Cigarettes were added two years ago.

Including smoking on the addiction list reflects a social trend toward
tobacco intolerance, said Wotherspoon

Smoking will be banned from all indoor public places in Saskatchewan
on Jan. 1.

Both cigarettes and crystal meth act as stimulants and are highly
addictive.

It takes as little as two doses of crystal meth to become addicted to
the white powder. By the fifth dose, users have a 90 per cent chance
of being hooked.

Wotherspoon hopes school presentations in the next two weeks will
increase student awareness of the dangers associated with crystal meth.

Wotherspoon said the difficulty of breaking an addiction depends on
the individual and his or her support system.

"In the end, it's much easier to do with the support of the people
around," said Wotherspoon.

Prince Albert has a tradition of being an active and aware city about
addictions, said Wotherspoon.

He said people promote the week because they see the "disastrous
affects" addictions can have in the community.

One of the main reasons for holding the awareness week is to turn
media attention towards the dangers of addictive attitudes.

"We may not reach every person, or we may not prevent every person
from getting into an addictive cycle, but if we can reach the vast
numbers that say the Herald does or maybe a radio station, boy, than
it starts to provide a major impact ... It brings us together for at
least one time of the year to put a concerted focus on prevention,"
said Wotherspoon.

He said the week also gives addictions councillors and educators the
opportunity to network.