Pubdate: Fri, 06 Jan 2006
Source: Langley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 BC Newspaper Group and New Media Development
Contact:  http://www.langleytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1230
Author: Monique Tamminga
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

'OSTRICH SYNDROME' NO SOLUTION

Police Press for Formation of a Community Action Group in Meth Battle

Langley RCMP seize more crystal meth off the streets than any other
hard drug.

At least one death in Langley can be attributed to meth and if the
problem isn't addressed now, it will only get worse, said police.

The drug has many victims ?" just ask local business owners whose
insurance is through the roof from repeat break-ins. Or ask the boy
who was assaulted by addicts who took his wallet, or the parents who
waited a month to get treatment for a child spiraling out of control.

"Five years ago retail outlets didn't have to put up cement barriers
in front of their stores, that's where we are at," said Diane
Robinson, the RCMP's crime prevention co-ordinator.

"The public can't afford to continue with this ostrich
syndrome."

Nearly 10 years ago, U.S. authorities predicted crystal meth would
make its way north to B.C.

But the province wasn't prepared.

"Crystal meth is the crack cocaine of the '90s but the mental
addiction and long-term effects are much, much worse," said Langley
RCMP's drug section Sgt. Dave Fleugel.

"Business people are saying 'enough is enough', RCMP is saying 'enough
is enough'. This impacts everyone... Now the community has to take
aggressive ownership of this problem," said Fleugel.

Langley Mounties don't believe they can make a considerable dent in
the meth epidemic unless the community bands together now to create a
meth watch program.

Local Mounties hosted a symposium on meth last spring, hoping to form
a task force. But with summer come and gone, a community initiative
has yet to start up.

"We want to be at the table on this, we won't slow it down until we
open doors wider," Fleugel said.

The provincial government announced recently it will give $10,000 to
each community that forms a meth watch program, but so far no group
has formed in Langley.

Last month, Langley MP Mark Warawa told The Times he plans to bring
the proper stakeholders together to form that task force.

He's met with police, Maple Ridge MP Randy Kamp (who helped start up
the meth watch there), and other service agencies, including the
Salvation Army, Rotary and the Langley hospital, to get this going.

"I will hold a town meeting if it's necessary," he
said.

The Victims

Last month, a woman sat outside a coffee shop in Langley City, sipping
coffee and studying. Her cellphone rang just as a crystal meth addict
walked by. The addict didn't like the ring tone and charged at the
woman. After repeated screams to 'get away', the woman threw her
coffee on the addict.

It sent the user into a rage, wrestling the victim to the ground and
kicking her. It took three officers to put the female addict in a
patrol car, said the victim, who wrote to The Times.

Officers at Risk

"The mere presence of a police officer can set that meth user into a
psychotic rage," said Fleugel.

Most meth addicts are up for days, not eating or bathing. They can be
seen 'tweaking' ?" acting agitated, paranoid and angry.

"I've heard from our drug section that when they arrest a meth head
who has stolen a car, the officers can smell chemicals oozing out of
their body through their sweat," said Fleugel.

"They sit in the back of the police car and the odour that is coming
out of them smells like chemicals."

Meth can contain camping fuel, acetone and brake fluid.

Youth at Risk

The average age a child experiments with crystal meth is 14 or 15.
Langley police warn that nearly every drug is laced with crystal meth
these days.

"If the casual pot user thinks they're not at risk, think again," said
Fleugel.

"Pot is being laced, ecstasy is being mixed with meth. Everything is
being cut with meth."

Meth causes teeth to become brittle and makes people lose weight at a
disturbing rate. It also makes the user believe there are bugs
underneath the skin that must be picked out.

"I've seen a scab that had been picked to the bone," said
Fleugel.

Community at Risk

In 2000, only two reported deaths were attributed to meth use in this
province. Last year, there were 33 in B.C., one of those in Langley.
Last month a woman in her 30s committed suicide by jumping in front of
a train after telling people she couldn't deal with her meth
addiction. While Fleugel wouldn't provide an estimated number of meth
users in Langley, he agreed there are hundreds.

"Addiction sneaks up on meth users. It tricks them to think they are
in full control and then they're hooked," he said.

"We recognize people are being assaulted by meth users, we know
property crimes are being committed by meth users," he said.

Meth costs only $7 for a bag that gives an addict a 10-hour high.
Ingredients to make meth fit into a small container and can be bought
at any hardware or paint store and pharmacy within a day. But for
every kilogram of meth made, there are six kilograms of toxic waste
being dumped into sewers, soil and ditches.

"The fire department is finding some of this sludge in ditches in
Langley," said Fluegel.

The Courts

While police work to put repeat offenders behind bars, the courts
release them before the ink on the paperwork is dry, said Fluegel.

"People don't realize the machine of the criminal justice system.
There are so many hoops and hurdles to process the average case.

"The state of the legal system is that the rights of the individual
(criminal) far out weigh the rights of the community," he said.

"Parliament doesn't decide laws, the judges do." Fluegel explained
that judges keep changing the legal parameters. Every time a judgment
is overturned, or new precedents are set in a case, police are having
to re-learn what is permissible in court.

Treatment

Treatment is limited in B.C. Meth addicts need help the minute they
ask for it, not two weeks or months later when they've changed their
minds and are high again, Fluegel said.

"If the community put pressure on government for treatment centres, if
we made a case for detox together and integrate our voices as one
strong voice, I think they'd listen," he said.

City councillor Terry Smith, who chaired a crystal meth session at
this summer's Union of B.C. Municipalities, said no addict at this
point can get immediate care.

"I don't think we realize how much we spend on this through crime,
judicial and medical costs and we seem only concerned about the cost
of treatment centres yet health care costs are way higher if these
people aren't treated," said Smith.

He'd like to see Langley mirror Maple Ridge's Meth Watch Task
Force.

Government Action

The B.C government just introduced a program to monitor bulk sales of
cold medications that can be used to make meth. Many provinces are far
ahead of B.C. already putting cold medication behind pharmaceutical
counters.

Last month, the province provided $2 million for existing treatment
centres, and $2 million for prevention education.

Locally, Langley City council, under new mayor Peter Fassbender, has
set up a social planning committee that will work with local agencies
to deal with the issues around drug addiction and homelessness. Both
Langleys created a bylaw that holds home owners financially
responsible for meth labs in their home.

The bylaw allows building inspectors, firefighters and police to bill
a homeowner for dismantling a meth lab and the price of getting
permits to be allowed to re-enter.

Police Response

Langley RCMP have just created a team of officers who will work hard
on following and arresting repeat offenders. They will prepare reports
for Crown that will detail the criminal's previous offences committed
so that there is better chance of conviction. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake