METH: THE 'DRUG OF CHOICE'

They look hungry and dirty.

They don't know where they are, or how they got there.

But most of all, they're afraid.

That's what a methamphetamine-addicted person looks like walking into the
Clearview Detox Centre.

"It's so much more harsh than crack addiction," said Lorna Ross, daytime
supervisor at the centre.

Meth goes by many names - speed, crystal meth, krank - and because it's
cheap and easy to make, it's becoming the drug of choice in Nanaimo.

"It's on the upswing for sure," Ross said. "It's as common now to hear
someone with a speed addiction as it is crack or cocaine."

The increase began within the last year. At the centre, the number of their
clients that reported using meth is at eight per cent. "It's a more common
drug on the street in the last year," Ross said.

The Nanaimo RCMP have taken a lead role on Vancouver Island to get a handle
on the production of the drug by training officers to recognize and
investigate clandestine lab operations, said spokesman Const. Jack Eubank.

In 2003, actual offences, like possession and manufacturing, totalled 26.
This year, to date, that number is 10.

Meth is not only a damaging drug to the user but it's also a danger to make.

The main ingredient is the stimulant ephedrine, or pseudo-ephedrine that is
found in most cold medications. Producers also use chemicals like drain
cleaner, lye, anti-freeze and battery acid.

"The chemicals are dangerous of themselves, then you start mixing them
together," Eubank said.

The chemicals can burn, explode and spread fumes, endangering neighbours,
firemen and police.

"This stuff is insidious. It's a horrible bloody drug," Eubank said.

Getting quick treatment for addicts wanting to get off the drug is also a
challenge.

The detox centre is filling six beds and has a three-week waiting list for
any client wanting treatment.

Ross said people get frustrated they can't get help and often discontinue
calling. They go back to their addiction or move to another city. "A week
to an addict in active addiction is a lifetime," Ross said.

Lora Johnston-Corbett, an alcohol and drug counsellor with the Vancouver
Island Health Authority, said she doesn't see many meth addicts going to
the Nanaimo office for treatment after detox.

"It's very underground in Nanaimo," Corbett said. "I find a lot of our
hard-core drug use is underground."

The first step to fighting drug use in a community is acknowledging that a
problem exists, Corbett said.

She wants to start initiatives like a storefront clinic downtown, supplied
with counselors that can give people walking in off the street resources
and help immediately.

She'd also like to start a consulting group that includes drug users to
find out their needs are. A similar group in Vancouver's downtown eastside
started programs like the mobile needle exchange.

"I think there's some real basic things we need to do," Corbett said. "They
deserve services just like anyone else that comes through the door."