CRYSTAL METH: A GROWING PROBLEM IN HIGH SCHOOLS

One tenth of a gram gives a user an almost instant high that can last for
several hours, sometimes even an entire day.

Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as crystal meth, might not be the
newest designer drug on the market, but it is only recently enjoying a
second wave of popularity in Quesnel in general and the community's schools
in particular.

"It's really serious," said Quesnel Senior Secondary principal Tom Hamakawa
about the use of this synthetic drug in Quesnel's high schools. "It is a
horrible drug. There's been a major increase throughout the community."

"Some of the girls get it for free," Hamakawa said. "And then who knows
what happens."

Const. Paul Collister, the RCMP drug enforcement officer in Quesnel, said
he has been informed about incidences of "older people preying on younger
ones."

However, Collister also said he had never personally encountered such
instances but had rather been informed about them by what he called "sources."

Students using crystal meth, Collister said, are usually the older crowd in
grades 11 and 12. Marijuana, which is still the number one drug, is also
reported to be used by students in grades 8 and 9.

Const. Mark Wielgosz said that as far as he knows, there is little, if any,
drug use in Quesnel's elementary schools.

One reason crystal meth is popular with high school students is its
relative affordability - crystal meth costs approximately $20 for a hit,
whereas cocaine costs about $50. But Collister said he believes that
crystal meth is more addictive than cocaine. "At least that's the
impression that I get," he said.

Not only is crystal meth highly addictive - it is also twice as pure as the
variant used in the 1960s and 1970s. Crystal meth used during those years,
Collister said, was up to 50 per cent pure, whereas today it is up to 100
per cent pure.

For all these reasons, Collister said, he considers crystal meth a hard
drug and his number one priority.

However, not everyone uses crystal meth to get high.

"Some women use it for weight loss, our sources tell us," Collister said.
"It apparently stifles the appetite."

Collister said that "drugs are a big problem" in Quesnel, but added that
the problem is not different or more pronounced than in Williams Lake or
Prince George.

But even though crystal meth, a synthetic drug, can be easily manufactured,
what is sold in Quesnel comes from the south of the province.

"We have no information about big labs in Quesnel," Collister said. "Most
of it is probably from the Lower Mainland or Prince George." Gathering
information and cultivating new informants and sources, Collister said, is
the main part of his job.

Also, he does not operate in a vacuum and frequently enlists the help of
other officers of Quesnel's RCMP detachment, he said.