LIFE OR METH? CAMPAIGN ASKS

A psychiatric nurse is to be added to the emergency room at Ridge
Meadows Hospital while a community outreach worker will be hired to
help with drug-addicted street people as part of a new campaign, Life
or Meth.

The plan was outlined by 14 members of the crystal methamphetamine
task force Thursday afternoon at the Arts Centre and Theatre.

The task force was initiated several months ago by Meadowridge Rotary
president Mary Robson to educate youth about the dangers of crystal
meth and how it is affecting the community. The task force, divided
into committees, includes representatives from the RCMP, school board,
drug and alcohol treatment services and other community groups, like
the Salvation Army.

According to local RCMP, meth accounted for 21% of hard drugs locally
in 2000. In 2003, it accounted for 48%.

RCMP Insp. Janice Armstrong reiterated Thursday that crystal meth in
integrally linked to property crime. "The meth problem is a huge
problem," she said.

As part of the campaign, police will focus on prevention and awareness
of crystal meth.

The RCMP drug team will also dedicated most, if not all of its
resources for the next two to three months on trying to stop whoever
is producing and distributing meth.

However, Cpl. Dave Walsh of the drug team warned that meth labs are
difficult to detect because they are easy to assemble and portable.
"Throughout the province there aren't that many meth labs that are
detected."

Local police came across one last month while responding to a domestic
dispute call. Walsh said initially an officer passed by the meth lab
without knowing what it was. "Clearly we need to do a better job
educating our own people."

Education is a key component of the meth campaign.

As many as 10,000 copies of a 16-page information booklet will be
distributed in the community. Information packages about meth will
also be distributed to parents and students by the school district.

Grades 7-10 teachers will receive lesson plans regarding substance
misuse and prevention. A workshop called "Making Decisions" will be
offered to teachers on Oct. 22, a professional development day.

On Tuesday, former Vancouver Canucks general manager Brian Burke will
discuss substance misuse with students at Pitt Meadows and Garibaldi
secondary schools before attending the annual Meadowridge Rotary
Sports Banquet.

A sub-committee of the meth task force is to recruit at-risk youth to
create a homemade-style magazine about meth awareness. Another key
component of the campaign is enforcement.

The task force has made several recommendations to the municipal
bylaws department in Maple Ridge.

One is to create a new bylaw, severely penalizing property owners who
"do not illustrate due diligence to ensure their properties are not
used for the production of an illegal substance."

The task force also wants to target local businesses that sell items
and ingredients (precursors) used in the production of meth, like cold
medications containing pseudophedrine or rubbing alcohol, brake
cleaner, paint thinner, kerosene, ether, methanol, lithium and
sulfuric acid.

The task force wants to restrict or regulate the sale of such products
by appealing to local businesses.

The Alberta College of Pharmacists voluntarily agreed to stop selling
medications containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or ephedra off the
shelf and move them behind the counter.

The local task force wants local councils to ask B.C. pharmacists to
do the same.

The task force also wants to explore, with provincial and federal
crown councils, the possibility of developing criminal charges for
people who knowingly aid in the manufacturing of meth by selling precursors.

The task force plans to start a court watch program to report on
specific cases related to crystal meth, directing offenders towards
rehabilitation services.

Detox and rehab services must first be made more accessible.

The Fraser Health Authority is to add 18 withdrawal/management beds in
the region within the next year, as well as 17 new support/recovery
beds.

Part of the problem is co-concurrent disorders, someone with a drug
addiction and mental illness.

The new psychiatric nurse, to start next month, is to help such
patients get the care they need.

The Salvation Army intends to make available six to 12 beds for
patients with co-concurrent disorders, but needs funding to hire
additional staff.

The Salvation Army is also seeking to hire "foster parents" to run a
post-treatment house for four to five people at a time.

The new outreach worker will also start next month, working with the
RCMP and bylaws department, as well as local business affected by
drug-addicted street people.