Pubdate: Tue, 30 May 2006
Source: Ladysmith-Chemanius Chronicle (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 BC Newspaper Group & New Media
Contact:  http://www.ladysmithchronicle.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1279
Author: Andrew Topf
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH TASK FORCE LAUNCHED

Crystal meth is an addictive street drug that destroys  lives, and
Ladysmith is pooling all the resources of  the community in an effort
to fight its spread.

The Town is seeking $10,000 in provincial government  funding to go
towards a new Meth Task Force spearheaded  by Ladysmith councillor
Scott Bastian and drug  counsellor Kim Chadwick.

The task force is a follow-up to a November meeting  that brought
community stakeholders together including  representatives from the
RCMP, the Town, the high  school, paramedics, the fire department, and
front-line  drug counsellors working through the Ladysmith  Resources
Centre.

That purpose of that meeting was to determine the  extent to which
crystal metamphetamine, also known as  crystal meth, crystal, crank,
jib, ice, or simply meth,  has taken hold in Ladysmith, while the Task
Force will  go a step further by implementing an action plan.

It is difficult to track the number of crystal meth  users in the
Ladysmith area, but sources close to the  problem say the drug is
widely available either as  chunky crystals most often smoked in a
pipe, or  surreptiously slipped into tablets of ecstasy, a  popular
party drug that may contain a host of other  drugs including cocaine,
heroin, and speed.

Ecstasy has been fingered as the drug most often linked  to overdoses
in Ladysmith, and Chadwick figures around  one in 10 teens are
experimenting with it.

Cpl. Rob Graves of Ladysmith RCMP says crystal meth has  been around
for a few years, though in recent months  the "drug of choice" has
shifted to crack cocaine.

Two weeks ago police dismantled a major crack cocaine  operation,
raiding three apartments and arresting 11  people. Those involved had
been trading crack for  stolen goods, including jewellery, cash and
household  items.

But Graves said just because dealers and addicts have  shown a
preference for crack, doesn't mean  methamphetamine has
disappeared.

"We're hearing and seeing more crack cocaine versus the  meth but
we're also hearing from people who have a  connection to drugs that
the meth is still there," said  Graves.

He said from a policing perspective, crack users are  easier to handle
than people addicted to meth, who are  prone to mood swings and
unpredictable, sometimes  violent behavior.

What both drugs have in common, explained Graves, is an  addict's need
to beg, borrow or steal to get it.

"All drug addicts will do whatever they can do to  support their
habit," he said. "It gets a hold of you  and all they're concerned
about is feeding that habit."

The Task Force will borrow from a crystal meth template  developed in
Maple Ridge.

Two years ago the Vancouver suburb was forced to deal  with a major
crystal meth problem after a shelter was  flooded by homeless people
addicted to meth.

The community, led by the local Rotary club, called  together
businesses, media, health care providers and  social service
organizations to come up with a plan.

Their three-pillared approach, focusing on public  awareness,
treatment, and stepped-up enforcement,  managed to divert many of the
400 addicts into  treatment. Maple Ridge was also the first community
to  roll out the Meth Watch program, which educates store  owners and
employees how to spot someone buying the  ingredients used to
manufacture meth.

Chadwick said the Ladysmith Task Force will attempt to  flesh out two
of the Maple Ridge pillars - public  awareness and
enforcement.

Informing the public about the dangers of crystal meth  could be done
through forums at the high school, Meth  Watch, and an information
blitz using shopping bag  flyers for example, says Chadwick. "We're
trying to be  proactive before it becomes an issue."

On the enforcement side, Cpl. Graves said he's hopeful  the federal
government follows through on its promise  to implement mandatory
minimum sentences for those  convicted of serious drug crimes, "so
that someone  isn't back on the street after serving six to eight
months," he said. Another idea is dedicating an RCMP  member in the
detachment solely to drug enforcement,  said Graves.

While the Task Force is new to Ladysmith, ours would  not be the first
Vancouver Island community to mobilize  against meth.

Nanaimo, Victoria and Oceanside (Parksville) have all  signed protocol
agreements with the Vancouver Island  Health Authority to develop an
Island-based strategy  for crystal meth addiction.

One of the architects of the strategy is Ladysmith's  Mike
McDonald.

McDonald grew up in Maple Ridge and co-produced a  documentary entitled 
Life or Meth: A Community Takes  Action. The 41-minute film is a how-to 
guide for towns  facing issues associated with the drug. He said 
just  because crystal meth hasn't grabbed a toehold in  Ladysmith, doesn't 
mean it can't.

"The key thing here is not to be complacent," says  McDonald. "We need
to concentrate on the public  education side of it and also to
recognize there are  people that are addicted that need to have
treament  facilities in place."

McDonald noted meth addiction may not be immediately  visible in
Ladysmith, but there are likely addicts with  connections to our area
living in larger centres who  are badly in need of help.

"Even though the problem is not here there's going to  be addicts from
families in Ladysmith who are lost out  there somewhere," he said.
"And that's scary."

The Meth Task Force holds its first meeting this  Thursday, June 1, at
LSS. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Steve Heath