Pubdate: Fri, 30 Mar 2007 Source: Whistler Question (CN BC) Copyright: 2007, Whistler Printing & Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.whistlerquestion.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1034 Author: Jennifer Miller Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada) METH DANGERS CHRONICLED Popular Drug Extremely Addictive, Harmful, U.S. Expert Says Whistler and Pemberton RCMP officers say the crystal meth "wave" hasn't hit the two towns, but community members should know what to look for so they can identify methamphetamine labs and dump sites if the deadly drug begins to move in. Educating yourself on the signs, effects and risks of meth was the key message at an information forum on Tuesday (March 27) at Millennium Place. Presented by the Whistler Drug and Alcohol Committee, the event included a panel discussion and a presentation by Roger Lake, a Washington state narcotics investigator and meth consultant. He said learning about the drug and talking with children and young people about its horrifying effects will help prepare Whistler to fight the drug if it becomes a problem locally. "You need to educate yourself so you can knowledgably educate your children," Lake said to the audience of parents and teenagers. Lake, who is also the co-author of America's Meth Prevention Cookbook, shared some of the disturbing stories of psychosis, physical injury, death, ruined lives and child abuse resulting from meth use that he witnessed during his years as a police officer and drug investigator. Meth is an "extremely volatile drug," Lake said. "Methamphetamine seems to be the worst." Because it's so quickly addictive and rapidly damages the brain, causing psychotic behaviour, meth is worse than even cocaine and heroin, he said. Meth is such a powerfully addictive drug that addicts will choose the drug over anything else of importance to survival or their lives. Lake said he talked to addicts who admitted they would choose the drug over their own children. The drug has such a hold on addicts' lives that nothing else drives them other than the pursuit of more drugs. "They're doing it to survive," he said. "Their drive state says 'all you need is the drug' and they'll do anything." Meth is one of the cheapest street drugs to buy and all it takes to make crystal is a blender, a funnel and some other regular kitchen items. The process can be completed in about 30 minutes, Lake said. With flammable ingredients such as camp fuel, paint thinner, lithium from batteries, acetone, anhydrous ammonia and starter fluid, the "cooking" process is extremely dangerous and explosions and fires are common. The chemicals are also extremely hazardous to the brain. Crystal meth use, particularly when it's smoked, rapidly damages the brain, killing portions of it and resulting in brain scans that are full of holes. Brains of people in their early 20s appear as the brains of 60- or 70-year-olds who have suffered from minor strokes. Addicts' brains "aren't functioning normally," Lake said, which accounts for some of the psychotic, paranoid behaviour and repeat criminal activity. Though crystal meth use is widespread in Vancouver and somewhat present in Squamish, so far Whistler and Pemberton have been lucky not to see much evidence of the drug. "I think there's probably people here that are using meth," said Cst. Rod Gallop from the Whistler RCMP. "(But) I just think that right now it's not a drug of choice here." Other drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy are prevalent in Whistler and ecstasy pills can contain up to 60 per cent meth, he said. Police officers regularly visit local schools to talk to students about the dangers of drug use. A new addictions counsellor has been hired at the Whistler Health Care Centre and will start in May. Visit the Sea to Sky Community Services Society offices in person or online at www.communityservices.bc.ca for more details on local programs. Another online resource is www.no2meth.ca. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom