Pubdate: Mon, 21 Feb 2005
Source: Penticton Herald (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.pentictonherald.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/664
Author: Joyce Langerak, Penticton Herald
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

14-DAY DRUG BINGE

She hasn't gone to school for a year. She runs from her parents, from her 
grandparents, and hangs out at shady motels, going days without sleep

"There's a 14-year-old girl we've been aware of recently in Penticton who's 
developed a severe addiction to crystal meth," says Const. Brad Myhre, a 
member of the Penticton RCMP's task force

"Crystal meth really seems to get a grip on young people, especially young, 
teenage girls for some reason." Myhre spent two years in drug enforcement 
in Prince George before his Penticton posting two years ago

"We recently dealt with a young man, 21 years old who had gotten out of 
jail about four weeks earlier," he said. "In that four weeks, he related to 
me he had stayed up for nine to 14 days without sleeping as a result of 
using crystal meth." In that four weeks, he lost about 30 pounds and became 
emaciated

The colloquial term for the drug is "speed" and one user equated the 
crystal meth experience to drinking 50 cups of coffee in short order. 
"These people binge like crazy," said Myhre. "A week, two weeks staying 
up." "The most common drugs here in Penticton are cocaine and crystal 
methamphetamine," said RCMP Sgt. John Niznikowski, officer in charge of 
general investigations at the Penticton detachment

"Our priorities would be crystal meth and cocaine, definitely," said 
Niznikowski. "Enforcement will take place over the marijuana -- the grow 
operations. But our priorities are cocaine and crystal meth because it does 
intertwine with property crime." Theft from vehicles, break-ins, smash and 
grabs -- the general rule is property obtained by crime is sold or traded 
for drugs, he said. Though ecstasy appears to be gaining a foothold in 
Kelowna, it's not common here, said Myhre. "I can think of two or three 
instances we've seized it in the last year. That's it." Heroin isn't a big 
player in Penticton, either, said Myhre

"We don't see a whole lot of heroin here. In the past year there's been 
only one charge for possession of heroin for the purpose of trafficking -- 
a woman." Crack cocaine is a whole different story

"Crack cocaine is rampant," said Myhre. "There's unlimited cocaine dealers 
at any given time. We bust them quite regularly and another one pops up." 
In his two years in Penticton, the use of both crystal methamphetamine and 
crack cocaine appears to have risen dramatically, in part because 
enforcement has been stepped up with three full-time officers

"We've become much more aware of how deep-rooted the problem is here." "Our 
task force's three members virtually on a daily basis are investigating 
some form of trafficking," said Niznikowski. Crystal methamphetamine is 
relatively easy to make, said Myhre

"We don't really hear of any meth labs locally, but I wouldn't doubt there 
were local small ones

In larger terms, police say most crystal methamphetamine and cocaine in 
Penticton comes from Kelowna or the Lower Mainland. "Organized crime is 
behind all cocaine and crystal meth trafficking at some point in the food 
chain," said Myhre. "I've got no problem saying they're outlaw motorcycle 
gangs." Lower Mainland networks hire local people to traffic for them, 
noted Niznikowski

"I guess the answer would seem to be is somehow figure out a way to keep 
young people from getting started on it," said Myhre. "You see good kids 
who get hooked on it at a young age, and that's it for them. They're done. 
They'll rob, steal or lie -- anything to support their addiction."
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