Drug prevention begins at home, was the main message to the 300 people in attendance, at the "Let's talk about drugs' seminar held April 27 at L.P.  Miller School. 

Nipawin Journal -- Seminar participants told drug prevention begins at home

Drug prevention begins at home, was the main message to the 300 people in attendance, at the "Let's talk about drugs' seminar held April 27 at L.P.  Miller School. 

The seminar, co-ordinated by the Nipawin School Division, gave parents some insight as to some of the drugs that are currently being used, some of the indications that someone is using drugs and what to do about it.  Speakers were Staff Sergeant Jerome Engele from the Saskatoon Integrated Drug Unit and 30-year veteran teacher Patti Sebestyen. 

Melissa Sisson, outreach worker with Wagner School said she was pleased with how the event went overall.  The pair also brought along several examples of drugs and paraphernalia to view. 

"It was excellent and we had a great turnout," she said.  "I think the speakers opened a lot of eyes of both parents and community members."

Participant Jack Grassing said that he was glad he came. 

"It was good," he said.  "It was very informative and I think it kind of shocked some people."

Participant Bill Rustad also enjoyed the presentation. 

"It was excellent," he said.  "They hit the nail on the head when they said that 90 per cent of the youth do not pose any problem, it's the 10 per cent that all of our resources ( police, addiction workers, etc.  ) are dedicated to."

The speakers focused on and brought home the point that listening to your children and knowing who they hang out with, and what they are doing is the main goal in drug prevention. 

"It's important that you know your youth," said Sebestyen.  "Know your kids, show them tough love.  Know their friends and their parents.  "It's my job as a parent in my kids' world to make sure that what you do is safe.  Get in your kids' face, go through their room, do whatever it takes to help your kids.  Do what you need to do to keep your kids safe."

Engele said that one of the prevalent drugs in society right now is crystal meth. 

"Crystal meth is a hallucinogen and it is highly addictive with 90 per cent of users getting hooked after the first try," he said.  "This is a very dangerous drug, I know a lot of hard core druggies that won't touch the stuff, because you never know what may be in it."

Engele said that the drug is easy to make and a lot of times it is made with lethal ingredients such as battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel and anti-freeze. 

Here is a little information that he shared with those in attendance about crystal meth and a few of the other, more prevalent drugs: Crystal Meth: also called speed, ice, chalk, meth, crank, fire, glass. 

It is a form of methamphetamine stimulant which dramatically effects the central nervous system.  The drug is easily manufactured anywhere with basic, over-the-counter ingredients. 

The drug releases high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine into the part of the brain regulating feelings of pleasure.  It can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested or injected. 

About 90 per cent of users become addicted after trying it once.  The drug is a social one and usually it is used in a group setting.  It is cheap and is targeted towards people between 13-25 years old. 

Someone who smokes it may seem like they have an ongoing cold and nasal drip. 

The high lasts eight to 16 hours. 

A high-end user may use up to one gram of meth a day.  It uses up energy and when you come down from a high, you crash hard.  A lot of people go on binges and won't eat, will hallucinate and will have sleep deprivation.  They will have to drink a lot because of sore throats.  You may also observe a user's eyes rapidly move back and forth. 

The more you use it, the more it takes to keep a person on a high. 

Life expectancy of a heavy meth user is about seven years. 

Crystal meth is also said to be extremely hard to break off of. 

Coming off the drug can make a person feel tired, groggy and depressed.  Using the drug can lead to seizures, heart attacks, strokes and even death. 

You will see extreme weight loss, lots of scratching and irritation. 

It is dangerous and can cause convulsions, permanent severe body damage or death.  Chronic use often causes depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia and aggressive behaviour. 

Is there crystal meth in Nipawin?

"It's the drug of choice right now," said Nipawin RCMP Const.  Monty LeComte.  "Crystal meth is definitely a problem here and in a lot of places.  It has become pretty prevalent over the past year or so."

Pot: also called Marijuana, Mary-Jane, grass, weed. 

Pot smells like fresh alfalfa and when smoked it has a kind of a skunky smell. 

Signs that a person is doing marijuana may include a person acting lethargic, having the munchies, bad acne, laziness.  As a dealer they will have cell phones and pagers. 

To spot a dealer's house, you may see bright lights, the windows are covered most of the time, and there would be no traffic during the growth cycle. 

Engele said that most of the marijuana that is coming into this area is shipped in from British Columbia because of their good growing seasons and their many hiding places that they can take advantage of. 

Cocaine ( crack ): also called Coke, C, Snow, Blow or Flake. 

Cocaine and crack are a powerful central nervous system stimulant that heightens alertness, causes a loss of appetite and the need for sleep.  It is a fine white crystalline powder that can be snorted, smoked ( crack ) or injected. 

A cocaine high may last between 20-45 minutes. 

Signs that a person is using include paranoia, chest pain, nausea, blurred vision, fever, muscle spasms, racing heart, jitters, itching and or needle pricks in arm

Coke is addictive and may cause psychological dependence. 

Ecstacy - `E', X, Adam, Clarity, Lover's Speed. 

This is a stimulant with hallucinogenic properties.  It is a white crystalline powder and is usually seen in capsule form or in pressed pills. 

Taking E results in a massive release of serotonin.  This is our body's own happy drug.  It produces a faster heart rate, higher blood pressure and stresses the liver.  It dehydrates the body and also takes away the ability to maintain a normal body temperature.  It also gives you a warm sensation and heightens sounds and visions

When taking this drug, getting a high may take awhile, resulting in the use of other drugs to try and get there faster.  Once obtained, a high can last up to six hours. 

Liquid E ( Ecstacy ) or GHB - Also called the date rape drug.  It is classified as a sedative-hypnotic and was originally developed as a sleep-aid.  It usually comes as an odorless liquid, slightly salty to the taste and sold in small bottles. 

In high doses it can slow breathing and heart rate to dangerous levels.  GHB can relieve anxiety and produce relaxation, but in high doses it can make you sleep and cause a coma or even death.  It can cause nausea, headaches and loss of reflexes. 

How to spot the home of a dealer and what to do:

If you seen an abnormal amount of vehicles stopping, then leaving a home quickly that could be one indication.  Drug users and dealers want deals to happen quickly so they reduce their chance of getting caught. 

"If suspicious things are going on, people need to phone us, even if it is anonymously," said Staff Sergeant Len Desautels.  "We do act, when possible, on all information that we get, however, not every piece of information will give us the opportunity to execute a warrant, but it may be the missing piece of information that we need."

Desautels added that the community needs to be involved in stopping the spread of the drug trade. 

"Drugs are a community problem," said Desautels.  "The RCMP does not have the resources to do everything, the community needs to take a stand on drugs."

Prevention education is key to stopping the spread of drug use and it is to educate students about them.  That is where the Drug Abuse Resistance Education ( DARE ) program comes in to give the Grade 5 students the correct knowledge of drugs and the extreme danger that any kind of drug presents to them. 

Information for this article was compiled from the `Let's Talk Drugs' information session; Nipawin RCMP; Saskatoon Health Region Addiction Services pamphlet; and various sites on the Internet.