CRYSTAL METH TOUR VISITING ALBERNI

Society Will Bring Its Message To The Valley March 11, 12

The Victoria-based Crystal Meth Society of B.C. will be bringing its
message to the Alberni Valley, with five presentations set for March 11 and 12.

Director Mark McLaughlin said the society reached has over 40,000
B.C. students since it first took the tour on the road in 2006.

"We do school shows in the daytime and community hall presentations
in the evening, and work with the media throughout to raise
awareness," McLaughlin said.

To that end, they'll be making the presentation at 12:45 and 2:30
p.m. on March 11 at ADSS, followed by a 6:30 p.m. session at the Port
Alberni Friendship Centre. Then on March 12, it's back for a third
presentation at ADSS at 9 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. session at VAST.

The Meth Info show includes 37 minutes of video and slides, including
the 18-minute video, Death by Jib. That's followed by a
question-and-answer session.

"The video itself is great - bang for buck, I don't thing there's any
better," McLaughlin said. "But it also need a proper wrapper, so we
bookend it with an 'intro' and an 'extro .'" The Q&A sessions can be
extremely lively - and emotional, he added.

The Port Alberni Community Crystal Meth Task Force, which was formed
in late 2005, conducted a number of successful community events
before disbanding in 2008. McLaughlin said the efforts of community
groups across the province have had an effect on crystal meth use,
but the problem definitely hasn't gone away.

"We've helped give meth a bad name. But drug dealers are still
selling meth out the back door," he said. "Nowadays, most street
drugs are laced with crystal meth. Our local (Victoria) RCMP have
said that 50% of the ecstasy on the street tests hot for crystal meth
- - some tests 100% meth. We had a number of children overdose on those
pills lately."

McLaughlin noted that dealers are also cutting both powder and crack
cocaine with crystal meth. It's cheap and it makes for a more
prolonged high. But the trade-off is increased paranoia, psychosis
and even death, he added. In the process, we've gone from sedated
criminals (heroin) to extremely violent and unpredictable criminals
with crack and meth.

"If you're following all that lead you see flying in the Lower
Mainland, that's all about drugs," McLaughlin said.

The society has conducted surveys of students who see the Meth Info
show, and it provides some interesting statistics, McLaughlin said.

"Twenty-two percent of the kids who see our show say the know someone
who is meth-involved - 44% say they know someone who uses ecstasy,"
he said. "Thirty-seven per cent say meth is easy to get and 95% say
they would never use meth after seeing our show - 96% recommend it to others."

McLaughlin said the society is now working on a new program for Grade
4 and 5 students, in co-operation with the Victoria School District
and the provincial education ministry.

For more information call the Crystal Meth Society of B.C. at 250-744-4111.