CRYSTAL METH TOPIC OF FORUM

A person can walk into a kitchen that is doubling as a lab for making
crystal methamphetamine and not even know it.

Education to recognize the manufacturing and use of crystal meth is
the focus of a free public forum at 6 pm, Saturday, May 19 at the
Powell River Recreation Complex.

"Meth can be made in batches so small that all you really need is a
two-litre pop bottle," says Constable Tyson Gould of the Powell River
RCMP. "When people take meth they are addicted in no time. Then they
lose their family, their home and their job. They can't deal with
normal living. Life at that point is all about getting the drug. They
don't eat. They don't sleep. And their health deteriorates massively."

Deborah McIsaac, speaking for the Powell River and Tla'Amin crystal
methamphetamine education and prevention campaign, says: "I'm hoping
we can educate Powell River about awareness of what crystal meth is,
and how to prevent it, and to give parents a way to talk about it with
their families."

The forum organizers want to hear about what gaps people see in
prevention, response and education in this community.

"I think a lot of people in Powell River would like to think that this
won't happen to us. But the trend is that it will," says McIsaac.
"Once meth has a foothold in your community it's too late and you're
in for real heartache, addiction, crime, health problems, and random
acts of violence."

The forum is free, she adds. "There is lots of information and time to
talk afterwards. I hope people will feel this is important enough to
give up a couple of hours of their weekend."

Guest speaker Roger Lake is bringing his experience in law enforcement
and research into crystal meth to the forum. Lake is a retired
Washington State Patrol officer. He spent 25 years in law enforcement.
"I saw meth shatter lives and destroy families," he says. "People
started doing methamphetamine, and within three to six months they
were gone. They were just gone. It took them right down to the ground."

Lake says meth is different from other drugs because it's produced and
abused by people of all different socio-economic backgrounds. Some of
his worse cases involved upper-middle class families and people with
stable jobs and loving families. "We were seeing people in their 20s
and 30s raising a family and manufacturing meth in their houses."

All the things needed to make crystal meth can be bought
legally.

Experts point to pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the production
of meth. Pseudoephedrine is found in many common cough, cold and
allergy medications such as Sudafed and Contact.

Lake says putting a "soft" regulation of pseudoephedrine in effect
made a huge difference in Washington State. Products were still
available without a prescription, but were behind the counter and
there was a limit placed on how much of these products a customer
could buy. Putting these measures into effect had immediate results.
"Boom, problem solved," says Lake. "The sooner you do that, the sooner
your meth problem will be solved."

Joan Baker is a pharmacist at Powell River Safeway. She confirms that
it is not a requirement in this province to restrict the sale of
pseudoephedrine products. "People do watch what is being sold. We
would notice any unusual amounts being sold," says Baker. "We have our
ear to the ground."

At the forum there will be information and discussion to help
understand what to watch for if someone is suspected of making or
using crystal meth. "A person might try to buy two packages a day of
Sudafed, for example, and accumulate up to 14 packages for a batch,"
says Gould. "But the biggest thing is the cleaning supplies. That's
the flag that really stands out. When they are using pills they use
solvent to extract the pseudoephedrine."

The video Death by Jib, which explores the effects of crystal meth
will be screened at 6 pm. The public is advised it has mature content.
At 6:30 pm there will be a welcoming by Tla'Amin Elder Elsie Paul,
followed by the presentation by guest speaker Lake. The forum will
wrap up with panel discussion and questions.

Readers with questions about the forum, or about crystal meth, can
contact McIsaac, Powell River Child, Youth & Family Services Society.