Pubdate: Fri, 09 Sep 2005
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Louise Dickson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

'DEALERS DON'T CARE WHAT THEY'RE DOING'

Philip felt like puking when the smell of burning rubber drifted through 
the Langford construction site.

Neighbours probably thought someone was burning garbage, he said. But 
Philip knows the smell of crystal meth labs. He took the drug, known as the 
poor man's cocaine, once and says it tastes like crap.

Philip's aversion to crystal meth comes from the fact that he was attacked 
by a crystal meth addict. The former friend destroyed everything Philip 
owned, even his rock collection and the awards he won in elementary school.

"How could someone destroy another person's lifelong possessions?" the 
former cocaine addict asked Thursday. "I can't tell you how much I hate 
crystal meth."

Driving through the leafy neighbour, Philip, 44, pointed out the 
non-descript houses where the bucket chemists ply their trade, mixing up 
crystal meth in bathtubs and garbage cans.

"The dealers don't care what they're doing," he said. "From what I 
understand, there's some really bad stuff out there."

This week, residents of Greater Victoria found how just how devastating 
crystal meth can be. Mercedes-Rae Clarke, a 13-year-old Oak Bay High 
student died after ingesting a substance she and her girlfriends thought 
was ecstasy. Although toxicology tests are not yet complete, health 
officials think the girl may have died from an overdose of some form of 
crystal meth. Her friends were unharmed.

Detectives with Victoria's major crime section have made significant 
progress tracking down the people who sold the pill to the girl, said Insp. 
Clark Russell.

"We hoping to announce something this week. We're hoping we can bring this 
to Crown counsel and see what's provable."

Police also want to get their hands on the pills to see what's in them, 
said Russell.

The inspector said he wasn't sure what the trafficker can be charged with.

"It's not going to be that clear-cut in this particular case. The issue is, 
can we connect the trafficker with the victim. The other issue is cause of 
death and toxicology. Why did she die?" said Russell.

There's no question in Philip's mind what the dealers should be charged 
with -- murder.

Since he heard about the teenager's death, the words to Steppenwolf's The 
Pusher have been running through his head.

"A lot of people walk around with tombstones in their eyes," he quotes.

Dealers don't care, he said. They're monsters.

"They're handling drugs that are extremely volatile and made with crap. I'm 
a firm believer in 'a life for a life.' When you take somebody's life, your 
life should be taken."

Philip has had his own run-in with dealers. Seventeen years ago, Philip 
freebased cocaine for the first time. One hit is all it took. He was 
addicted to cocaine for 17 years.

"To a point, I blame the dealers. It was the best feeling I ever had in my 
life. Little did I know, I'd be facing a 17-year battle and torment for the 
rest of my life. If I'd known that, things would be different.

"I fight it every day. I dream about it continuous. I wish it would go away 
but it doesn't. It's always there so it's just something I have to live 
with. That's one of the downsides. Even if you quit, it still haunts you. 
And I really want people to know that."

Philip feels sorry for the naive 13-year-old who made a bad choice. He 
hopes other teenagers will pay attention and make better choices.

"Kids should believe what they see on TV. I've watched documentary programs 
with crystal meth autopsies that show where the shit eats holes in your 
head. How could they even try it?"

But Philip already knows the answer. The drug scene hasn't changed since he 
was young. Kids face an enormous amount of peer pressure, and today, there 
is an increasing number of dealers driving around neighbourhoods and 
pedalling their drugs at elementary, middle and high schools.

Still, police can't understand why teenagers who are so picky and careful 
about what they eat will put something in their body when they have no idea 
where it came from, says Victoria police Sgt. John Bond.

"There's no quality control. They don't know where the drugs are coming 
from. Many designer drugs are either manufactured in unhealthy locations or 
in clandestine labs in the Third World," said Bond. "We see the unsafe 
places these pills are made."
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman