POLICE UPDATE BOARD ON PROGRESS IN WAR ON DRUGS

Drugs Problems Can Exist Anywhere, Including In Any Family.

York Regional Police recently hosted a public presentation which
outlined what kind of drugs are out there, what parents should look
for and what the police are doing about it all.

Inspector Tom Carrique said there had been a drop in the use of some
drugs in York over the last couple of years, but the use of ecstacy
is up. He also said the amount of people using solvents is disturbing
because there are no laws pertaining to these substances. And despite
the reduction in their use, he said there was still problems with
cocaine, heroin, glue, crystal meth and LSD.

Inhalants include solvents like plastic cement, acetone and benzene;
aerosols like hair spray, deodorant, Freon or Pam; or gases like
chloroform or nitrous oxide. Carrique said the signs of use of these
materials to look for include a flushed face, disoriented or confused
appearance, bloodshot or watery eyes, residue of inhaled chemical
around the mouth, odour of chemical on their persons or faces,
intense headaches, being non-communicative, and nausea.

Carrique said a survey was conducted among Grade 7 to 12 students in
2005 on their use of substances over previous year. The results
showed 62 per cent said they had used alcohol (down 4.2 per cent from
the previous survey), 26.5 per cent used cannabis (down 3.1 per
cent), 14.4 per cent smoked cigarettes (down 4.8 per cent), 6.7 per
cent used hallucinogens (down 3.3 per cent) and 4.4 per cent used
cocaine (down less than half a percent).

Carrique also went into some of the effects of the various substances.

Cannabis, which includes marijuana, hash and hash oil, is probably
the most popular drug right across the country. It has effects which
last between two and four hours. They include euphoria, relaxed
inhibitions, increased appetite, disorientation and personality
changes. There is also the possibility of lung damage, chronic
bronchitis and low testosterone, as well as the potential for birth
defects, still births and infant deaths. He added excessive use could
result in fatigue, paranoia and possible psychosis. Withdrawal
symptoms can include insomnia, hyperactivity and decreased appetite

Marijuana sells for about $10 to $15 per gram, while hash is about
$20 to $25 a hit and hash oil goes for between $35 and $45 per gram.

When it comes to drugs like cocaine, crack or methamphetamine, these
are stimulants, and Carrique said the length of the effects depend on
the dosage. The effects include euphoria, alertness, insomnia and
loss of appetite, along with increased pulse, blood pressure and body
temperature. With extreme doses, the results can include
hallucinations, convulsions and possibly death. Withdrawal symptoms
can include watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, loss of appetite,
irritability, tremors, panic, cramps, nausea chills and sweating.
Cocaine sells for $20 to $40 per hit, providing a high of one to two
hours, while crack is about $30. Carrique said meth is a "very viable
product," selling for $5 to $15 a hit.

Ecstacy or MDMA is a very popular hallucinogen, with effects that
last four to six hours.They include heightened senses, teeth grinding
and dehydration, with possible increased temperature and cardiac
arrest in high doses. Withdrawal symptoms include muscle aches,
drowsiness, depression and acne. It sells for $25 to $50 a hit.

The effects of heroin last three to four hours, and Carrique said
they include euphoria, drowsiness, respiratory problems, constricted
pupils and nausea, with comas and possible death resulting for
overdoses. Withdrawal symptoms include watery eyes, runny nose,
yawning, loss of appetite, irritability, tremors, panic, cramps
nausea, chills and sweating. A hit of heroin goes for about $30.

LSD, ketamine and psilocybin are hallucinogens, with effects
including illusions, hallucinations and altered perception of time
and distance. Higher doses can result in longer and more intense
high, along with an inability to feel pain, detect movement or
remember. Carrique said LSD sells for $3 to $5 a hit, while ketamine
and psilocybin go for $10 to $15 a hit.

He said the signs and symptoms of substance use vary according to the
drug involved, but they generally fall into three categories;
physical, psychosocial and cognitive.

Carrique said the physical indicators include lack of detail to
personal appearance, such as failing to clean clothes or shower;
changes in energy levels, with spikes followed by declines; changes
in the eyes (red, glassy, watery, lack of clarity); changes in skin
tones, including burn marks; and needle marks on the body.
Psychological indicators include a loss of or change in interests,
shortage or need for money with nothing to show for it, change in
peer group, isolation from family or friends and the appearance of
drug paraphernalia. Cognitive indicators could be memory loss,
falling grades, an inability to multitask and mood changes. Carrique
pointed out one of these symptoms might not mean a drug problem, but
a number of them might be the cue to act.

There are a number of things parents can do in terms of prevention,
including getting accurate information about substances from reliable
sources. Carrique suggested the Regional health department. As well,
he said parents can get involved and stay involved in their kids'
lives, facilitate meaningful communication in the home, building the
child's self esteem, setting rules and being a role model. He also
warned parents against losing their credibility. That means getting
their facts right, and not doing things like telling their teens
drugs will kill them if they use them once.

When it comes to intervention, Carrique said parents might have to
raise the issue, describing to kids what they have seen (rolling
papers, etc.) and letting them explain "and then solving the problem together."

Carrique said police are waging a war against drugs, and they are
doing it from a number of different angles, including through
prevention and intervention, community services, programs through the
schools and youth initiatives, as well as enforcement and
investigative tools. They include teams that investigate and
dismantle marijuana grow-ops.

Detective Sergeant Richard Crabtree observed that setting up a
grow-op can be lucrative. It costs about $30,000 to establish one,
and 1,600 plants can produce about $1.5 million in a year. The
maximum penalty for such activity is seven years in prison, but
Crabtree said something like 90 days to two years of house arrest is
more common, along with suspended sentences and fines.

As well, some of these operators have taken counter measures, such as
using smaller homes and giving them a lived-in appearance (families,
children, etc.), alarm systems, video cameras (so they can monitor
police activity), etc.

Crabtree said the things to look for in a suspected grow operation
include neglected lawns and gardens, windows that are always covered,
condensation on windows, little or no garbage (he said that keeps
police from going through the trash), vehicles pulling directly into
the garage, lights on 24 hours a day (especially in the basement, the
smell of laundry softener (it masks other smells), no snow on the
roof or foundation and tampering with the hydro meter.

Crabtree said there were 65 grow houses known to be in York this
year, and he said five of them were in King. Vaughan, Richmond Hill
and Markham is where most of them have been.

He added there's been a reduction in the number of people charged
with such offences over the last couple of years, but the inventory
of plants involved shot up in 2005. In 2002, there were 170 warrants
issued, resulting in 221 arrests, 746 charges and the seizure of more
than 58,000 plants, with a value of about $58 million. In 2005, there
were 101 warrants, 120 arrests and 333 charges, but more than 59,000
plants seized.

In addition to adding to drug problems, these grow ops pose other
troubles, especially where safety is concerned, in terms of
electricity (due to substandard wiring), carbon dioxide, exhaust,
toxic mould, chemicals and the danger of explosion. As well, Crabtree
said children, ranging in age from three to 18, have been found in
these places - more than 100 in the last four years. And he added
those are just the grow ops where warrants were executed.

There are also impacts to the community, including increased crime
rates, health hazards, insurance claims, theft of hydro and real
estate fraud, through things like fraudulent mortgage applications.

York Regional Police have had a strategy for dealing with this
problem since 2003. There have been a number of operations which
Crabtree pointed to, resulting in some 90 arrests and more than 500 charges.

Carrique also addressed the problem with methamphetamine or meth,
also known as ice or glass. He said it offers an intense high, and is
sometimes called "the poor man's cocaine." He added it's very
addictive and easy to make with ingredients available on pharmacy
shelves. That puts it in a "very profitable criminal market," he said.

As well, he said a meth lab is easy to set up, adding it can be done
from the trunk of a car, which adds to the danger of a possible
explosion in a traffic accident.

Signs of a meth lab include the odour of chemicals or solvents,
blacked or yellow-stained windows, rent being paid in cash,
reluctance to allow the landlord in, excessive trash, metal drums and
boxes with labels removed or painted over, excessive amounts of
chemicals or cold and allergy medication, and red and purple stains
on the floors, walls and ceilings.

Since 2001, there have been 29 seizures and 40 charges. Carrique said
80 per cent of those charged were males, and 39 per cent were between
the ages of 28 and 38, and that was a little surprising.

Carrique said they are being successful in the war on drugs, adding
they are making progress when it comes to taking away the profits involved.

Residents can assist by takin part in Neighbourhood Watch programs,
being aware, knowing their rights and responsibilities as a landlord
and reporting suspicious activity.