DRUGS OF CHOICE

AADAC Aims To Raise Awareness Of The Drug Scene in GP

Its street name is ice. But with crystal meth's promised high can quickly
come a barren winter of addiction, warns a Grande Prairie drug abuse
counsellor.

"When you smoke it or when you inject it, that 15-20-minute rush is so
pleasurable and the high is so intense it can hook you the first time,"
said John Dunn of the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission's Northern
Addictions Centre.

Ice is just one of the next generation of drugs to recently hit Grande
Prairie that Dunn is going to talk about at a seminar today at the Grande
Prairie Composite high school from 7 to 9 p.m.

The session is part of National Addictions Week, which starts today and
wraps up Saturday.

In many ways last year's drug-of-choice, ecstasy, is now passe, says Dunn.

"Ecstasy has sort of panned out. It's still out there and it's still being
used, but because crystal meth provides a high that's equal to or better
than it, people want into that," he said.

Once it's got you, ice, a high-potency variant of methamphetamine, starts
to make short work of your brain, heart, lungs, and your personality.

And, unlike some of the more natural source narcotics, a synthetic drug is
with you for the long haul, says Dunn.

"(Cocaine) can clear the system in 24 hours. A synthetic drug doesn't do
the same thing - the body can't clear it as quickly."

The high one gets on ice causes some people to binge, or take subsequent
hits of the drug as the initial 15-minute rush subsides into a more mellow
euphoria, further stockpiling the drug in your body, he said, adding recent
local headlines prove there is a problem with ice in Grande Prairie.

Dunn said he's hoping by raising awareness of these and other new drugs,
such as Special K - the horse tranquilizer ketamine, and GHB - a small
capful of which equals six drinks of hard liquor, will help parents steer
their kids clear of them.

"A lot of times it's not about being rebellious towards their parents or
towards society, it's just about having a good time," he said.

"They take (these drugs) thinking it's going to enhance their good time and
the time they have with their friends, but they end up getting getting
caught up and swallowed by these drugs."

Other additions week activities include a pancake breakfast at the Northern
Addictions Centre, 11333-106 St., from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday,
non-alcoholic mocktail hours Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Grande
Prairie Regional College and Saturday at the Prairie Mall from 1 to 4 p.m.,
and national addictions awareness checkstops on Wednesday and Thursday
evenings. It wraps up Friday with a family dance at the NAC gym from 8 p.m.
to midnight.

Dunn will also be speaking on the new generation of drugs from 7 to 9 p.m.
next week at St. Joseph Catholic high school Tuesday and Peace Wapiti
Academy the following night.

For more information, call 538-6330.