KITS HELP COMBAT METH

Some local organizations are using the tools of education to combat
crystal meth in our community.

The North Okanagan Crystal Meth Prevention and Awareness Project,
along with several other organizations, have put together resource
kits on the drug for the community.

The kits are in every school in the Vernon School District as well as
20 different agencies, including the Community Policing Office, Vernon
Boys and Girls Club, First Nations Friendship Centre, Vernon Jubilee
Hospital and the Upper Room Mission.

The idea is to provide the community with knowledge about the
potential impact crystal methamphetamine can have on an individual, a
family and an entire community.

"It's all about getting conversation started," said Lisa Levesque,
North Okanagan Crystal Meth Prevention and Awareness Project
co-ordinator.

The kits have everything from a gripping video about life on crystal
meth to statistics and information on where to get help.

Some of the information included comes from the Centre for Addictions
Research, which states that three to nine per cent of public students
have used meth.

According to CAR, a 2003 survey showed that 70 per cent of
street-involved youth in Victoria and Vancouver have used crystal meth.

But the other side of the story is that, according to one survey, 86
per cent of students have never used any "party drugs," which include
meth and ecstasy.

Organizers of this project would like to keep that level of non-users
high -- and are doing so through education.

Rachael Neuhaus, Vernon Community Policing Office co-ordinator, points
to the impact education has made in other communities, such as an
Alberta town that saw outlying areas dealing with a lot of crystal
meth problems, but managed to minimize its problems by educating its
citizens on the dangers of the drug.

"They chose to saturate the community with education," said Neuhaus,
hoping similar effects will transpire locally.

"We really missed the boat on crack, this time we're not," said
Neuhaus, referring to the level of crack cocaine use that possibly
could have been minimized with more pro-active education efforts.

Vernon School District's substance abuse prevention counsellor Doug
Rogers is pleased to see these information-wealthy packages entering
the schools.

"With one drug and alcohol counsellor in a district of 9,000 we need
to empower the parents and teachers," he said.

Rogers added that students will also likely pick up on the information
and bring it back to their families.

The information is also particularly useful for frontline-type
agencies dealing with individuals with drug problems.

"We definitely have X percentage of our guests with crystal meth so
this will help us better know what we're facing, what we're dealing
with," said Andrew Yeo, Upper Room Mission manager.

The North Okanagan Crystal Meth Prevention and Awareness Project was
formed late last year with the intent of addressing the potential
concern early.

It has provided training to frontline agencies, raised awareness by
working with the media and bringing in public performances addressing
the issue.

"This project was about prevention and awareness, and we feel that we
have laid the ground work, and instigated conversations throughout the
community," said Levesque.

Funding for the project was provided by the Ministry of Public Safety
and Solicitor General.

The one-time grant of $50,000 runs out in June.