HOME DRUG LABS A GROWING DANGER FOR CHILDREN'S AID WORKERS

Crystal Meth Operations Can Be Lethal, Meeting Told

On top of heartbreaking interviews with parents addled by years of
methamphetamine addiction, Children's Aid Society workers increasingly
face personal hazards in homes where crystal meth and other drugs are
manufactured.

Grey County CAS protection service manager Julie Lipsett said Thursday
the presence of methamphetamine in area homes, particularly in
southern areas of Grey County, has risen in recent years. When she
began working for Children's Aid 10 years ago, cocaine and opiates
such as dilaudid and oxycontin were major problems.

"Cocaine is still there but crystal meth is more of a problem for us,"
Lipsett said in an interview following a presentation by Grey County
OPP Const. Drew Wilder to CAS workers at St. Mary's Parish Hall.

Popular illegal drugs of the 1970s and '80s, such as LSD and
psylocybin, are less common locally these days although remote rural
areas are used for marijuana grow operations, Wilder told his
audience. However, manufactured drugs such as crystal meth and ecstasy
are on the rise.

"I want to make sure you guys are aware of what you're seeing," said
Wilder, a 22 year veteran with the force who has worked in Grey County
all those year. "Don't for a second think that what I'm going to show
you is only in Toronto or the big centres. It's here as well."

His presentation kit includes samples of a wide range of illegal drugs
and equipment used by drug abusers and addicts -- everything from
marijuana to heroin, brand-name cough medications, hallucinogenics,
stimulants, depressants, steroids, gasoline and model airplane glue.
He has slides that show bathroom drug labs and photos of houses
destroyed by explosions and fires caused by the solvents and other
chemicals used in illicit drug production.

Wilder warned society workers to approach households where
methamphetamine production may be a factor with caution. He urged them
to wear gloves when dealing with known drug users and to seek police
advice in suspicious circumstances.

When drug enforcement officers raid suspected drug labs, they go in
wearing chemical protection suits and breathing masks, often in the
company of firefighters trained in handling hazardous materials.

"This is your health," Wilder said. "If you find something like this,
you've got to glove up. If you don't have gloves that you carry with
you all the time, get some . . . You don't want this stuff coming into
contact with your skin. There is no control over how this stuff is
made. You have no idea what goes into each batch."

"It's what are we looking for when going into a home, what
paraphernalia, what drugs are on the street, how do they protect
themselves and the first step in protecting yourself is to know what
you're looking for," Lipsett said following Wilder's talk.

"It's an ongoing issue for us and the biggest problem is crystal meth,
particularly in the south."

Wilder described methamphetamine as highly addictive. It can be
smoked, injected or snorted and produces sensational stimulation of
the nervous system. Because of the solvents and other chemicals used
to produce it, there are high risks of contamination and overdose.

Long-term use also produces side effects including insomnia, infected
sores known as "crank bugs," burns caused by the high temperature at
which the drug burns during smoking, weight loss, eroded gums and
tooth decay. Psychological effects include hallucinations, nervousness
and prolonged depression, Wilder said.