SMALL TOWN OFFERS WAY TO BATTLE DRUGS

Ninety-five per cent of property crimes were related to it. Teenage
girls were being forced into a life of prostitution in order to pay
for it. Pharmacies put the chemicals needed to make it behind the counter.

It's crystal meth and up until 18 months ago, the addictive, easily
manufactured drug had the small Alberta border town of Hinton in a
stranglehold. A seemingly big city problem that had taken root in a
quiet mill town.

The devastating effects the cheap drug was having on the population
living in the town of 10,000 left the RCMP, local government and
community groups with a punishing social epidemic.

Something had to be done. Fast.

Kathy Rees, an employee with family and community support services in
Hinton, told The TIMES last Friday that when her community came to
grips with the fact crystal meth was not going away and would only get
worse, swift action was needed - action that mobilized Hinton on every
level.

The Community Drug Action Committee was struck, with local government,
RCMP, social organizations and regular citizens signing on to combat
the drug.

In Maple Ridge, as in Hinton, crystal meth is fast becoming the drug
of choice amongst youth. RCMP are finding meth labs regularly, second
only to marijuana grow operations. Local Rotary has now set up a
meeting on Thursday to deal with the problem.

They may want to get some ideas from the Hinton example.

On Thursday, the Meadowridge Rotary Club will host the first meeting
bringing together the same community groups Hinton did to kick off a
campaign aimed at fight back against crystal meth.

Rees said she applauds Maple Ridge for taking up the fight and adds,
that like addiction itself, realizing crystal meth is here and is not
going away unless action is taken is the first step towards a solution.

"One of the biggest steps you've already taken is you've recognized
it's a community problem. That's essential for doing anything. Perhaps
any community has to get to that point," Rees said.

When the people of Hinton decided enough was enough, Rees explained it
took a wholehearted commitment from the entire town to tackle its
crystal meth problem - an effort that had to begin with mayor and
council's support.

"One of the real pluses we had is our town council decided to get
behind what the Community Drug Action Committee was doing. They
decided they would recognize we had a (crystal meth) problem and
weren't about to sweep it under the carpet," she said.

Since Hinton's drug action committee set out to fight back against
crystal meth a year-and-a-half ago, Rees said a number of key things
have already happened to rein in the problem.

Two additional RCMP officers were brought in and along with stepping
up enforcement, began to educate business owners and employees on what
off-the-shelf ingredients are used in the production of meth that they
might be selling.

"If you have a 7-11, you can get the components (to make the drug),"
Rees said, adding that as word got out, a number of retailers have
asked the RCMP to visit their stores to educate employees on what's
needed to manufacture crystal meth so they can be on the look-out for
people who purchase large quantities.

The Alberta College of Pharmacists, said Rees, recently took action
and voluntarily removed any drug that can be used to make meth off the
shelves so they can only be purchase over the counter.

Along with the business community stepping up to do what they could, a
volunteer army set out to knock on every door in Hinton, with
information brochures on the drug.

"One thing we've had as a group is we recruited 40 volunteers who went
door to door to door. We gave them written material on meth and they
talked to just about everybody in town and told them we have a meth
problem in town and it's your problem...even if they live in better
parts of town," Rees said.

Along with the education campaign, Rees said Hinton looked into who
was using the crystal meth. What they found was that it wasn't just
teens using meth as a party drug but, in, the core group of addicts
were older.

"We know in Hinton our problem mostly begins with 24 to 34-year-olds.
It seems to be early adults rather than teens," Rees said.

"We're also finding with the younger adult population it seems they're
able to control their use for two to five years and then somehow after
that (crystal meth) seems to get more of a hold."

Rees says that in the 18 months since Hinton moved to combat the use
of crystal meth, progress has been made and small battles have been
won, but the war is not over.

She said the work of the community and government are claiming small
victories like the three meth addicts that have entered into
rehabilitation programs as a direct result of the drug action
committee's efforts - and the heightened level of awareness on the
perils of using crystal meth.

"I think certainly there can't be anybody in Hinton that doesn't know
something about meth. That's a major achievement.

Hinton is also gaining national recognition for its innovative and
determined approach to snuffing out crystal meth in their community.

The town has been the focus of a CBC documentary chronicling its
battle against crystal meth and in October will host a convention to
help other communities.

"What we want to do is let everyone know about meth," Rees
said.

- - Maple Ridge's first meeting on the battle against crystal meth will
be held this Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Arts Centre and Theatre. Call
Mary Robson at 463-3333 ext. 2 to RSVP.