FHA NUMBERS FOR AMPHETAMINE ABUSE HIGH

More people have sought help for amphetamine abuse in the last five years
in the Fraser Health Authority (FHA) than any other region in B.C.,
according to a provincial report.

Methamphetamine, known on the street as crystal meth, crank, glass or zip,
is the strongest amphetamine and the one causing serious concerns in the
Lower Mainland.

One health official estimates that up to 20 per cent of drug abusers are
hooked on meth, with an increasing number of young women in the clutches of
the drug.

This week, Victoria announced a new strategy to deal with the potentially
deadly drug.

In just two years, crystal meth has overtaken cocaine as the third most
popular drug (after alcohol and marijuana) in the FHA.

The report, released this week, revealed the use and related deaths from
this toxic drug are increasing, and the number of people who seek help for
addictions to amphetamines in B.C. has climbed - from four per cent of
those seeking help for addictions five years ago to 11 per cent today.

Victoria's figures suggest 934 people in the FHA sought help for
amphetamine use in 2001, 825 in 2002 and 766 in 2003. Every year since
1999, the FHA has had higher numbers of people seeking help from community
addictions workers for amphetamine abuse than any other health authority in
B.C., the report indicates.

Addictions leader Sherry Mumford said the FHA is the largest health region
in the province (serving 1.44 million people) and has the highest
percentage of youth in B.C.

"You would expect numbers to be comparatively higher here," she said.

The overall numbers for amphetamine abuse in the FHA are probably
comparable to the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, she said.

Mumford said addictions workers in the FHA have seen an increase in drug
users seeking help for crystal meth abuse - she estimates up to 20 per cent
of clients are using meth, more than provincial numbers suggest.

She said street youth, the gay and lesbian population, rave participants
and women of child-bearing age have been identified as potential high-risk
groups.

"Women , especially young women, are certainly a high-risk population,
specifically because of crystal meth's ability to curb the appetite for
weight loss. Certainly women are starting to come to the forefront of what
you would call meth users."

Methamphetamine releases a rush of chemicals into areas of the brain that
control feelings of pleasure. It increases wakefulness and physical
activity and decreases appetite. It can be snorted, swallowed, injected or
smoked. It's cheap to buy and easy to make using over-the-counter
ingredients in at home labs and by organized crime groups.

While no one municipality in the FHA stands out as a hotbed of crystal meth
use, Mumford said certain areas do have more problems with the drug,
including Fraser East (Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Hope, Mission), Whalley,
parts of Langley and pockets in the Tri-Cities area.

This week, the provincial government unveiled a new strategy to combat
crystal meth addiction, promising to inform the public, make communities
safer, identify high-risk populations, reduce harm and increase the skills
of service providers.

B.C. Minister of State for Mental Health and Addiction Services Susan Brice
said initial discussions have begun with retailers and pharmacies to limit
access to medications that can be used in at home labs to produce crystal meth.

Pharmacists and several large retail outlets in Alberta recently placed
cold medications containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine behind the
counter to better control monitor the sale of these products.

Victoria also plans to implement an education program for women of
child-bearing age. There is concern pregnant women who use crystal meth may
unknowingly harm their unborn children, Brice said.

Elementary and secondary schools will also step up education programs
directed at preventing drug use.

A recent survey of more than 30,000 B.C. students found about four per cent
had used amphetamines. However, authorities believe the drug is far more
problematic in street youth than in those who live at home and attend
school regularly.

Overall, the strategy aims to integrate services between the province's
health authorities, the police, the justice system and the community.

As for crystal meth use in the FHA, Mumford says, "I think it will
eventually wane, but it won't be without its casualties."

Methamphetamine use - a deadly game:

Overdose deaths attributed to methamphetamine use have been steadily
increasing province-wide, from two deaths reported in 2000 to 12
mortalities last year and six in the first five months of 2004.

Methamphetamine is exceptionally toxic. High doses can elevate body
temperature to lethal levels, and can cause convulsions.

There is a unique danger in using crystal meth because it leads to
psychosis in some users. This can take the form of paranoia, hallucinations
and delusions, which in turn can lead to homicidal and suicidal thoughts.

Some rehabilitated users continue showing symptoms of psychosis years after
quitting methamphetamine. Studies suggest the damage is permanent for some.