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METH USE IN ALBERTA
Drug Endangered Children ProgramMarch 2003 Article by Garnet Lewis Police across Alberta warn that one of the biggest threats to communities may be a new drug showing up with greater frequency. Methamphetamine, and the closely related drug – crystal meth is produced in clandestine laboratories often hidden in homes, or even in mobile labs in the back of semi-trailer trucks. “Crystal meth can just take over a community, because of its highly addictive properties and the ease with which it can be synthesized in labs in homes,” said Sgt. Ian Sanderson, Drug Awareness Coordinator for RCMP K Division. According to Sgt. Sanderson, crystal meth is an “extremely potent member of the amphetamine family. It is a very powerful stimulant, highly addictive.” It is so addictive that some people can be hooked after just one use. The popularity of methamphetamine in Alberta is increasing dramatically. In 1998, RCMP in Alberta opened only 13 files dealing with trafficking in meth. In 2002, the number skyrocketed to 164. A troubling trend is the growth in the number of labs in homes or warehouses. Dealers and users turn methamphetamine into crystal meth through a process involving a dangerous witch’s brew of harmful chemicals in the middle of business areas and residential neighbourhoods. Frighteningly, recipes are even available on the Internet. In the United States, many of these home-based labs are discovered only through fires or explosions. It gets worse. Families, including children, live in these home-based labs, eating and sleeping next to highly toxic chemicals. Health officials fear children exposed to these chemicals are at a significantly higher risk of long-term health problems, including Parkinson’s disease, and many are developmentally delayed. More than 850 police members, prosecutors, and children’s services workers recently attended seminars in Edmonton and Calgary sponsored by Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta, Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service and the RCMP. They learned about the Drug Endangered Children program in the United States. Under the American program a protocol was introduced for parallel drug and child abuse investigations as a way to deal with the home labs, and the dangers children are exposed to. Alberta Solicitor General Heather Forsyth helped open the conference in Edmonton. “I was shocked and saddened to hear about the deplorable conditions these children are subjected to,” said Forsyth. “They are innocent victims, cast aside by the very people who are responsible for providing them with a nurturing and safe environment.” “The children need to be placed in care to assess the level of toxicity in their bodies,” said Sanderson. “We need to break the cycle of use. There have already been some fairly significant court decisions in the United States as a result of parallel investigations.” Forsyth has requested more information about the Drug Endangered Children program in the United States. FactsMethamphetamine: a powerful addictive stimulant that dramatically affects many areas of the central nervous system. Side effects: paranoia, schizophrenia, permanent brain damage, hallucinations, extreme violent acts. Dangers of meth labs: uses poisonous and explosive chemicals, creates hazardous-waste byproducts that are usually carelessly discarded resulting in contamination of communities. For every pound of crystal meth produced, five to six pounds of waste chemicals result. June 2001 – December 2002: RCMP and Edmonton Police Service seized materials from 16 methamphetamine labs in joint investigations. Source: RCMP |
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