Pubdate: Tue, 06 Sep 2005
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948
Author: Scott Neufeld
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

CRACK COCAINE DRUG OF CHOICE

It may not be scientific, but an informal police survey of drug addicts 
provides a valuable snapshot of just who is high on Nanaimo streets, says 
Const. Beth Blackburn, RCMP drug awareness officer.

She said the survey was done to get an accurate profile of drug addicts on 
city streets.

What police found was that the addicts they talked to were older than had 
been expected. Of the 43 addicts police spoke with, 31 were in their 20s or 
30s and two were in their teens.

"People tend to think [the addicts] are teens and those in their early 
20s," Blackburn said.

"These people had a family, children, jobs, then all of a sudden crystal 
meth enters their lives and they lost absolutely everything."

While half of the addicts admitted to using crystal meth, the drug of 
choice for 38 of them was crack cocaine. Only 11 said they were regular 
marijuana users.

"What that tells me is - there is a lot of [multiple] drug use out there," 
Blackburn said. "More people want cocaine because of the stigma attached 
with crystal meth."

The survey also found that two-thirds of the addicts had sought out local 
detox services - several had done so more than once.

The RCMP bike patrol conducted the survey Aug. 12 and 13 and focused on the 
areas around Albert Street, Cavan Street and Victoria Crescent.

Incidents involving petty crime, aggressive panhandlers and assaults had 
led some residents to question the safety of the downtown core, Blackburn said.

"We wanted to give [the public] the assurance we are down there looking at 
the issues," she said.

The survey will give police and treatment centres a better sense of how to 
deal with the problem with addicts on the steets.

While the survey is a useful tool Blackburn admitted there are limitations.

"When talking to people who are under the influence of drugs they are not 
always going to be 100 per cent truthful," she said.

The survey will be presented at a public forum on crystal meth on Sept. 15 
at Departure Bay Community Centre.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman