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Clandestine Meth Labs: How to Spot one in your neighborhood.
NATIONAL METH WATCH PROGRAM STARTS TODAYSat, 05 Mar 2005 Maple Ridge News A National Meth Watch Program starts today in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows as posters, stickers and pamphlets are to be handed out to 70 local businesses. The program is run by the Life or Meth task force - comprised of representatives from the Meadowridge Rotary Club, local police and firefighters, the school district, addictions services and other groups. It aims to educate retailers and employees abut the production of crystal methamphetamine. The program includes a phone number to report suspicious purchases. METH TOLL UNDER-REPORTEDSun, 27 Feb 2005 The Province: Mary Robson Last year, we suffered approximately 30 meth-related deaths in Maple Ridge. The statistics for B.C. are much understated. Our crystal meth task force has spoken extensively with the coroner, but has made no headway on getting a truer picture about the deaths. We have found that 90 per cent of the homeless are addicted to meth, and 80 per cent of car thefts and 70 per cent of property crimes are meth-related. We are the first Canadian community to adopt the U.S.- developed Meth Watch program. And we will go to Maple Ridge's business community in March to let retailers know about what to watch for in precursor sales. Mary Robson, Maple Ridge Rotary Club 'METH WATCH' AN EXAMPLE FOR CANADAMAPLE RIDGE: The City Identified The Drug As The Source Of Many Ills.Sun, 27 Feb 2005 In the fight against the menace of crystal methamphetamine, one B.C. community is being touted as an example for the entire country to follow. The 73,000 people of Maple Ridge, led by their local Rotary Club, have embarked on a multi-pronged approach to battling the drug and the social havoc it wreaks. SEEKING HIGHER PRISON TERMS Kelowna Capital NewsWed, 23 Feb 2005 Had he somehow been producing or trafficking in cocaine or heroin, a meth cook ( see story above ) could have been looking at 10 years in jail instead of three, Crown prosecutors said Monday. The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act limits sentences to not more than 10 years for methamphetamines, whereas cocaine and heroin can carry life sentences. The CDSA has been a little slow to catch up to current trends and science that might otherwise include crystal meth in the same category with the higher offences. "The ( B.C. ) Court of Appeal has recognized that meth is as serious as cocaine and heroin and that should be considered, though we have to take into account the maximum," prosecutor Valerie Hartney said. "Had it not been a 10 year maximum we would have been seeking double digits." The CDSA isn't the only finger of government slow to respond. There are still very few controls over so-called precursors, the chemicals needed to make the meth. The key ingredient is ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, commonly found in medications like Sudafed or Actifed. Last year, the B.C. Ministry of Health enlisted the help of retailers, grocery store chains and pharmacists to watch for changes in sales patterns through a program called Meth Watch. Dr. Brenda Osmond, deputy registar with the College of Pharmacists of B.C., said her members have been aware of the potential for years. But she said if the police-reported increase in crystal meth is real, they likely aren't getting it from retailers. "We know from conversations with police that when they find a meth lab, they do not find consumer packaged products, they find large tubs of raw material that are clearly not retail," she said. CRYSTAL METH ADDICTION A 'GROWING CONCERN' IN THE PROVINCESun, 20 Feb 2005 Jean Lian Purchasing cold remedies such as Sudafed may be more difficult, thanks to a little known chemical known as methamphetamine, or crystal meth. It is a stimulant that can easily be manufactured with ingredients from over the counter remedies for the common cold. Restricting the sale of such medications is one of the ways identified by a Saskatchewan Health report which proposes measures to address the addiction problem and the availability of ingredients that can be used to produce the substance. A strategy entitled A Strategic Plan for Crystal Meth and Other Amphetamines in Saskatchewan, recognizes the addiction as "a growing concern" in the province. PROPOSED PROGRAM MEANT TO HELP RETAILERS SPOT METH-COOKSWed, 26 Jan 2005 StarPhoenix, Chris Zwick Saskatchewan stores should adopt a program that helps retailers spot crystal methamphetamine manufacturers, say two Saskatchewan Party MLAs. Opposition MLAs Brenda Bakken and June Draude met Tuesday with two groups representing retailers and health product manufacturers. The Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores ( CACDS ) and NDMAC, a national association representing manufacturers, marketers and distributors of health products, have helped develop the Meth Watch Program. Background Information...About three years ago methamphetamine emerged as a problem drug in Western Canada. Pacific Community Resources conducted an adolescent survey in 2002 with a sample size of 1936 youth, ages 12-24, in 6 lower mainland communities. The survey found:19% of youth had used methamphetamine in their lifetime. 7-8% of youth use methamphetamine on a regular-daily basis The average age of first use of methamphetamine is 14.5 years of age 45% of youth reported being able to obtain methamphetamine within a 24 hour period. 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Home Hardware manager Dianne Rooke knew some of her products were the precursors to crystal meth production, but she was shocked to learn just how many. Home Hardware on 223 Street in Maple Ridge was the first business hit by the citizen-led Meth Watch program as it rolled out on Saturday. "I knew some of the products were used [in meth production]," said Rooke, citing camp fuel and lye as examples. "But I just couldn't believe some of the others on the list." Rooke was given a pamphlet featuring a lengthy list of the ingredients commonly used in meth production. Among those products were common household items such as aluminum foil, coffee filters and glassware, which came as a shock to many store owners. Seventy local businesses were visited by numerous volunteers Saturday from the Meth Watch program, including police officers, auxiliary officers, firefighters from both Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge, and Rotary club members. Pamphlets and stickers were handed out to businesses in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, and they were asked to post the information in their storefront windows and lunchrooms in an effort to educate the public about meth production. The Meadowridge Rotary Club has led the creation of the Meth Watch program, and president Mary Robson said she hopes this program will help arm the community in the fight against crystal meth. "There are so many meth recipes that use toxic ingredients readily available in our grocery stores, drug stores, and hardware stores," said Robson. "We want to stamp out the food source for the cockroaches." And stamping out the would-be cockroaches has storeowners like Rooke adamantly promising to educate employees about crystal meth precursors. She added that she thinks her employees will be supportive of the program. According to Surrey fire chief and local resident Len Garis, local businesses will play a vital role in deterring meth cooks. "We'll put posters in lunchrooms, lobbies, front windows, checkouts and on the products," said Garis, who encouraged store owners to place Meth Watch stickers directly on the products. "If a meth cook goes into a store and reaches for a product, they'll see it's being watched." And if the product is being watched, chances are the would-be criminal will not risk making the purchase, explained Inspector Janice Armstrong of the Ridge-Meadows RCMP. "Criminals as a rule are lazy, and if they're undetected, they'll keep going back to the same stores over and over," said Armstrong. "We're going to make it really uncomfortable for criminals to make their purchases." For ex-crystal meth addict Ron Cammock, the program couldn't be better news for Maple Ridge. "It's an epidemic - you can get it anywhere. It's too easy," said Cammock. "They're recruiting younger and younger kids, and they don't know it's poison, or that it'll screw you up for life." Cammock, a father of two who has been clean for only the past few weeks, said businesses should shut down access to the products used in crystal meth production. He added that store owners should force customers to sign for possible meth products, so purchasing can be tracked. In addition, some stores are opting to remove the products from their shelves altogether. According to Adrienne Graff, manager of the Shopper's Drug Mart on 224 Street, some precursors to meth have already been taken off the shelves, and further steps will be taken once she examines the information pamphlet. "But if someone tries to come in and buy something abnormal, we will try to intervene," said Graff, adding she plans to raise more employee awareness about crystal meth precursors. And once armed with this information, trained employees will be able to contact the RCMP through the Chemical Diversion Hotline (1-800-387-0020) when suspicious purchases take place.