CRYSTAL METH AVAILABLE IN EVERY NEIGHBOURHOOD, POLICE SAY

In Part One of this special report on crystal meth, we discuss warning
signs for parents that their children may be using the drug.

Next Saturday, Part Two will feature the personal account of a
recovering meth addict.

Crank, jib, ice, tina, crystal and tweak are some of the aliases of
methamphetamine. It can be made anywhere with items found in most
homes. It can be smoked, snorted, swallowed or injected, and at a cost
of roughly $10 for a typical street dose, it's considered a cheap way
to get high for about 12 hours.

Police describe it as extremely easy to obtain, available in every
neighbourhood and increasingly the drug of choice among youth.

"I think when you look at a cross-section of who uses that drug, what
probably has us most concerned is that it's everywhere," says Cpl.
Scott Rintoul, a drug awareness officer with the RCMP.

Rintoul says meth users are found in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside,
particularly among homeless youth - but are also white-collar
professionals working in high-pressure jobs, blue-collar workers in
industries that require shift work or long hours and students in high
school, college and university.

"A lot of users believe - and this is an illusion - but they believe
they can actually function," Rintoul says. "And you can, in theory,
you can function okay, and certainly function much longer than on
cocaine, in fact two to 10 times longer. So a person tends to use less
of the drug, so it's not as expensive, say as cocaine, but the risks
that you run are horrendous."

Meth is also mixed with other drugs, including the popular rave drug
ecstasy.

"You get tons of energy to dance, and a lot of ecstasy in fact,
probably a large percentage, maybe 75 per cent of the ecstasy that
we're seizing right now has meth in it, and the reason being is that
it just fulfills that need for energy," Rintoul says.

Even though the rave scene is dying out, Rintoul says there is more
ecstasy on the street than ever before, as the cost of buying a hit
drops.

"Normally, it's around $20 a tablet, so when the prices are coming
down, then it means there's obviously quite a supply."

Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that affects the central
nervous system.

The user experiences increased energy, a decrease in appetite,
euphoria, hypothermia and possibly irritability, insomnia, confusion,
tremors, convulsions, anxiety, paranoia and aggressive behaviour.

Excessive use of methamphetamine can cause mental confusion,
hallucinations and psychosis, and trigger symptoms of schizophrenia.
Continued use can result in permanent cognitive brain damage, physical
dependence and death.

Because meth is also used as a sexual enhancer, Rintoul says, it
exposes users to risks such as assault and sexually transmitted diseases.

"It does lessen inhibitions, similar to alcohol, and I think that's a
risk that a lot of people are running right now, unknowingly putting
themselves in a situation where they may tend to engage in an activity
where, if they were sober, they probably wouldn't do," Rintoul says.

According to a B.C. Coroner's report released in February, there were
a total of 31 deaths related to methamphetamine in B.C. between 2000
and 2004.

Described as a "substantial increase," the number of deaths each year
since 2000 doubled as compared to the year before.

The age group with the highest number of methamphetamine-related
deaths was 19 to 21 years, followed by the age groups 22 to 24 years
and 25 to 27 years.

The highest number of all deaths occurred in the Lower Mainland,
followed by the Fraser Valley region, and the least in B.C.'s Interior.

Males represented a higher number of deaths related to meth use in
B.C., with the exception of 2001, when there were an equal number of
deaths among males and females.

B.C. Coroner's statistics also show the number of deaths related to
illicit drugs peaked in Coquitlam in 1998 with nine deaths. There were
four such deaths in 1999 and 2000, two in 2001 and three in 2002.

In Port Coquitlam, there were three illicit-drug deaths in 1998, one
in 1999, three in 2000 and 2001 and one in 2002.

There were no illicit-drug deaths in Port Moody in 1998, followed by
one in each of the following three years and none in 2002.

Rintoul says an average of 40 meth labs are dismantled each year - but
there are fears that number could increase dramatically.

"When you look at the state of Washington, in 1994, they had 54
(methamphetamine) labs," Rintoul says. "In 2002, they had just under
1,400."

Most meth labs are small operations, Rintoul says, involving an
individual who is making enough for him or herself and possible a
circle of friends.

"The organized crime groups are obviously involved in the large-scale
operations," Rintoul says. "We are seeing those recently in Maple
Ridge, Langley and Vancouver."

The meth wave hitting the province, Rintoul says, reflects worldwide
trends.

"We're in an era of synthetic drugs - this is nothing new to the rest
of the world," Rintoul says. "Countries like Thailand, Japan, the
Philippines and even China are seeing a real increase in the use of
amphetamine-type stimulants. The United Nations reported last
September that the world better be prepared for a real increase in
chemical drug use and we're definitely seeing that."