CHRYSTAL METH CRISIS BUILDS

It's cheap, easy to find and it is fast becoming the drug of choice among
Kelowna's youth.

In less than two years, crystal methamphetamine has gone from obscurity to
prominence in the local drug community.

Known on the street as meth, ice or speed, among a handful of other names,
the drug can become all-consuming for users who quickly become addicted.

A snapshot of how prevalent the drug is comes from four local teens.

Their names have been changed to protect their identities, but their
stories are real.

Chase, 17, says he tried the drug for the first time last October and was
hooked after just one use.

For Kim, 18, the use started slowly last summer and then became more
frequent until she too was hooked.

Marcus, 17, injects meth and has been doing the drug for the past two years.

The youngest of the group is Cheryl, who at just 13 is a self-declared meth
addict.

All admit to some level of involvement in crime and all have been sexually
exploited because of their addiction. Only Kim claims she has beaten the drug.

Chase, Marcus and Cheryl have all been to detox, but they still do the drug
that can be smoked, sniffed or injected.

Finding it is not a problem.

"It's harder to find a joint than it is to find $10 worth of meth," said
Kim. "Everybody is doing it. That's why you can't find weed anymore,
everybody wants meth."

Meth is so prominent, they say, it can be delivered with a phone call.

"They won't deliver $10 worth of pot, but they will deliver $10 worth of
speed," said Marcus.

Chase quickly added, "That's because it's easier to get hooked on."

Cheryl did meth for the first time on her 13th birthday last July, and she
knows of many teens who also have a meth habit.

"It's taking over Kelowna," she said. "Everyone has either tried it or
they're addicted to it."

Mike Gawliuk of Reconnect, a youth help organization operated through the
Boys and Girls Club, doubts everyone is doing it, but admits it is rampant
in the city.

"In the last 18 months it has become more common. In the past eight months,
you're seeing a lot of people who are using it," said Gawliuk, who has
worked with street youth for the past decade.

"I know youth who go to high school who are actively using it," he said.
"It transcends all social status."

A few years ago, Gawliuk found heroin was popular among the city's youth,
but that lasted for only a summer. Crystal meth seems to have a stronger grip.

"It slowly worked its way in and now it is everywhere," he said. "For
anyone connected with downtown, it's the predominant drug."

All the youth agree it is extremely hard to quit.

"As soon as you start to come down, you need more," said Kim. "Meth comes
from Vancouver or Merritt, but I know there are meth labs in Kelowna. I've
seen them."

Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Scott Doran said two meth labs have been shut down in the
Central Okanagan in the past year, but most of the drug is brought into the
area from the Lower Mainland and Calgary.

He confirmed there are reports of a meth lab in Merritt.

"There definitely is crystal meth around and it seems to be a real feast or
famine type drug," said Doran.

"It was huge in the '60s and it faded away with cocaine coming on, but in
the '90s it came back," he said.

Doran agreed the drug has resurfaced in the Okanagan during the past two years.

Part of the appeal in dealing meth is it can be made anywhere and one lab
can produce several kilograms per week, making for significant profits.

"There is a local element involved in the production and distribution of
chemical drugs," said Doran.

He said the tightened border security has also made meth more popular with
dealers because they don't have to risk importing it from the United States.

"I think it's on the rise," he said. "I think we may be precariously at the
beginning of the rise."

Police are finding that teen girls use the drug more than their male peers,
but the bar crowd is also using.

"It's becoming more prevalent with late teens and early adults. It's the
drug of choice in the clubs and bars," Doran said.

Doran noted ecstasy started in the rave scene before spreading to more
mainstream society, and he believes meth will follow the same route.

"I would say it's fairly well entrenched in the club scene and I would say
we will see more of it as time goes on," he said.

Police act on all tips relating to the drug, but Doran said information on
marijuana grow operations and cocaine still outnumbers tips on meth.

Meth is a dangerous combination of chemicals that can be hazardous to those
making the drug.

"Quite often, the fumes that come off the reaction are very dangerous and
quite poisonous," Doran said. "The chemicals, when they're mixed, are quite
volatile."

Gawliuk said aside from the direct damage the drug does, it produces more
subtle problems. When high on meth, the user does not eat or drink, and
that can cause malnutrition.

Meth can also cause hallucinations and extreme paranoia.

"Meth turns you against people more than any type of drug," added Cheryl.

Gawliuk said the best way to combat the drug is education and prevention.
He said warning signs of usage can include a person being agitated, talking
a lot, not sleeping and being on edge. Pimple-like sores are also caused by
the drug.

Detox is the first step to kicking the habit, but Gawliuk said more is
needed to keep users clean.

"There is a need for some level of residential treatment," he said, adding
the users need a place to go once they've been through the detox centre.

"Detox doesn't help because you go back to your old lifestyle and do meth
again," said Cheryl.