Pubdate: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 Source: Esquimalt News (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Esquimalt News Contact: http://www.esquimaltnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1290 Author: Mark Browne Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada) FUNDS IN PLACE TO FIGHT CRYSTAL METH Esquimalt has secured funding along with other municipalities to tackle the ongoing problem with crystal methamphetamine. The municipality is receiving $10,000 from the Union of B.C. Municipalities, part of a provincial government plan to address the crystal meth problem. Esquimalt has so far received $7,500 and the balance will be handed over once a report is compiled for the Community Responses to Crystal Methamphetamine program. The money Esquimalt receives will be pooled together with cash received by other Greater Victoria-area municipalities and treated as a region-wide program, said Esquimalt Mayor Chris Clement. "That was the thinking, that the various communities would apply and then we'd pool the resources to get a bigger bang for our the buck," he said. The Capital Region's municipalities will essentially allocate money to the Crystal Meth Victoria Society, which will in turn finance programs to educate youths about the harsh realities associated with the drug, said society president Mark McLaughlin. However, he noted that rather than waiting for the money to come through, the society has already begun visiting schools to raise awareness about the dangers of crystal meth. "The take-home message is we are delivering the meth information presentation to all the area middle schools and high schools," McLaughlin said. The society is presenting a 45-minute show to students at schools across the region. The presentation is backed by a 190-page resource kit that is supplied to each school free of charge. The program is receiving strong support from the school district and the Vancouver Island Health Authority, McLaughlin said. The presentation, which includes a Power Point slide show and a 17-minute video, has received good reviews from students and teachers, he said. The presentation was made to students at Esquimalt high school earlier this year. The show includes a a display of all of the items that make up a crystal meth lab, including empty containers which would normally contain substances used to make crystal meth labelled with skulls and crossbones and other images to demonstrate the hazardous nature of the drug's ingredients. So far, the presentation is having a powerful impact. "When we do the question-and-answer period, at the end of each show there are just tons and tons of hands up. People ask questions for 20, 30 minutes onwards," he said. Many youths become involved with crystal meth without realizing the serious repercussions. "Because they're taken by surprise by it we want to minimize that surprise by letting them know ahead of time what the street drug called crystal meth is all about," McLaughlin said. Many youths who McLaughlin has spoken to following the presentations said they would never touch crystal meth after learning about the dangers of the drug. "They're very hungry for this information - and they ask dozens and dozens of questions at the end of each presentation," he said. The crystal meth that's on the streets these days is much more powerful than the drug was in the 1970s, McLaughlin said. The new drug is more addictive, more toxic and more widespread, he pointed out. "And you can make it under your sink," McLaughlin said. "We need a community-wide program of education to inform people about this stuff." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin