METH USE REMAINS A CONCERN

Officials say methamphetamine use doesn't seem to be as high in Jasper as
other communities in the area, but that could easily change

Jasper Booster - Unlike Edson and Hinton, methamphetamine use isn't a major
problem in Jasper - at least not yet.

Although the highly addictive drug is known to be in town, its popularity
hasn't reached the same levels as in communities east of Jasper. But local
RCMP Corp. Dave Osborne has concerns that meth use could one day become a
serious issue for the community.

"I think, on an opinion, usage will increase (in Jasper)," he said. "It's
popular and it's readily available, so the market will dictate the amount of
consumption."

The RCMP hasn't found any meth-labs in Jasper, and has made "less than seven
or eight" arrests for methamphetamine possession in the last year.

"It's not a lot, but it still concerns us," said Osborne, who added that
cocaine and marijuana are more often encountered by local police.

It's possible that if the meth problems in Hinton and Edson increase, so
could meth use in Jasper. Osborne also said the drug could be finding its
way into the area from Edmonton.

Tasha Symon, area supervisor for the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Commission (AADAC), said the substance could be trickling into Jasper from
its neighbours to the east.

"Once it gets going in one community, then communities close by, of course,
get exposed to it," she said. "I have no doubt it's happening in Jasper, but
at this point, it's (meth) newer to the community, and we don't see some of
the problems happening with it yet, in terms of stealing and stuff like
that."

Symon also said that her perspective of meth use in Jasper is limited
because the people she sees are often coming in for counselling on their own
accord, which doesn't happen often with meth users. Usually, those seeking
treatment for meth are forced to do so by probation officers or employers.

But while meth users make up the majority of people receiving help at
AADAC's Hinton office, Symon sees few users of that drug when she visits
Jasper.

"At this point, my client load there (Jasper) isn't so much meth, but that's
probably because it's more newly exposed there than say Hinton," she said.

When asked why meth is more popular in Edson and Hinton, while Jasper has
yet to have a major problem with the drug, Corp. Osborne said it could be
due to the different social make-up in the communities.

"I think it's the community. Edson and Hinton, I think are blue-collar
communities," he said. "The lifestyle they have compared to the hospitality,
tourist venue that is here (is different). It's just a matter of the
clientele and the community mosaic."

Methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous drug, with a reported 98 per cent
addiction rate on first time use. Addicts must often resort to stealing to
feed their habit, and the addicted individual will experience serious
behavioral, physical and psychological problems.

"It totally changes one's personality," said Osborne.