Pubdate: Sun, 15 May 2005
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Province
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Matthew Ramsey
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

SHARED PAIN, SHARED GAIN

Crystal Meth: Communities Plan How To Fight Plague

His photo tells the story of crystal methamphetamine in B.C.

It's 31-year-old Nick, bent double like a clothes peg, hanging from an 
overhead wire. He is 15 metres above the ground. Naked, terrified of 
imagined demons after a 36-hour binge, Nick escaped the apocalyptic visions 
in his head on Easter Sunday by leaping from his third-storey window.

The wire saved his life. The experience lead him to a realization that may 
save his future -- he had to quit abusing meth.

The Province brought you his story as part of a week-long feature series 
exploring crystal meth.

We heard many more stories like Nick's at four community forums focussing 
on the menace of crystal meth -- in Kamloops April 26, Victoria May 2, 
Surrey May 3 and Vancouver May 5.

Nearly 2,000 people attended the sessions, including panel speakers from 
the RCMP and psychosis experts.

Parents spoke about their frantic, failed attempts to find help for their 
kids; addicts talked about their struggles to stay clean and how they 
manage the potentially devastating lifelong health impacts of meth abuse.

The goal of the forums was to inform the community about the dangers of 
meth and inspire people to take charge and do something about it.

It's working.

In Kamloops, Sandy Heimlich-Hall is meeting with other community members to 
put together an action-oriented meeting in the fall.

The Province brought much needed information, Heimlich-Hall says.

The next step is clear -- "we want to stop talking about it and get things 
done," she says.

Heimlich-Hall hopes the Kamloops conference will include provincial and 
federal government representatives, first responders, health care officials 
and anyone else who can play a role in tackling methamphetamine.

The grass-roots approach is the only way anything will get accomplished, 
says RCMP drug awareness Cpl. Scott Rintoul, a panel member at three forums.

"You're not going to solve their problems simply through politics, and 
that's where we are now," he says. "[The forums] really showed the 
imbalance and that the need has to be put toward prevention and treatment. 
We heard that over and over. Communities must mobilize and there has to be 
a will. It will take leadership."

RCMP auxiliary Const. Ron Guthrie is organizing a meth forum for 
Parksville, as well as leading efforts there to set up a meth-watch program.

Jenny Jones, a 28-year-old woman who opened up in Victoria about her nearly 
fatal brush with meth, has agreed to speak to Vancouver Island high school 
students as part of police-led prevention efforts. Jones says the 
opportunity to talk and bring some hope to others feels like "walking on 
water."

"It was better than than any other high I've been on," she says.

Kerry Jackson is also finding hope where there was none before.

Jackson's son, Ryan, committed suicide while trying to break away from his 
addiction to meth.

She has developed 2020 Parenting.com, an online resource for parents and 
caregivers. Her site still needs financial support, but her story as told 
at the forums is attracting attention. A meeting with federal health 
minister Ujjal Dosanjh is in the works.

And then there's Nick. He didn't get a chance to take part in the forums. 
He's been working on his problems at the Maple Ridge treatment facility 
since April 22. After years of addiction to meth and his miraculous leap of 
faith, Nick feels he has a second chance.

"Life is such a precious gift. I have hope now. I feel a lot stronger," he 
says. "I'm remembering my dreams."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman