Crystal Meth, that is. More commonly referred to as ice or speed and closely connected with ecstasy or cocaine. If you are reading this, you may be curious and know nothing about this drug or you may know as little as what you hear on the news and want to know more. You may be a concerned parent, grandparent, teacher, health official, business owner, coach, friend or a genuinely concerned citizen. Whatever the case may be, I strongly believe that ignorance is not bliss, so I chose to share a summary of what I learned through my own concern and curiosity.

So what is Crystal Meth? This is the street name given for methamphetamine, which is in the amphetamines group of drugs. It is a stimulant, which speeds the bodys central nervous system. The increase in popularity seems to come with the longer lasting highs in comparison to other stimulants. It can be smoked or injected for an instant high, taken orally taking 30-60 minutes or snorted taking 2-5 minutes.

It basically tricks the body into believing it has unlimited reserves. Some users experience side effects such as itching welts on the skin, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea high blood pressure, and uncontrolled body movements like a seizure. It is dangerous, and has devastating long-term consequences, ranging from violence, self-destructiveness, and possibly even brain damage. It can produce hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia and homicidal/suicidal thoughts. The brain damage caused by meth is similar to the damage caused by stroke, epilepsy or Alzheimers disease. Addiction can happen very innocently and accidentally, after one try but withdrawal is so severe, they keep using.

There seems to be no correlation between gender, race, background or academic ability. The age for first time users seem to be between 12-14, but is not limited to the teen population. World wide, it is second in line to marijuana, as the most commonly used illicit drug, with over 35 million users. Issues of major concern are that it is much cheaper than cocaine to produce, the products needed are easily accessible and there already is history of substance abuse problems in this province. Saskatchewan has a lot of remote, wide-open area, where labs can very easily be set up without chance of close scrutiny.

These illegal laboratories can be set up in a short time by simply shopping for the necessary toxic ingredients in local grocery, hardware, and drug stores. The hazardous materials used in these labs and the extreme heat needed to produce it create a risk to anyone living in the area due to the risk of explosion or fire. Then the issue of clean up and disposal becomes a secondary concern

One could not begin to imagine how a human body would be affected, nor would one ever imagine the frame of mind the person is in that is using. A recent conversation I had with a young man in his 20s told me about a good friend of his who was using and how his appearance resembled that of a person with terminal cancer. He was addicted, unemployed and basically homeless. Upon asking further questions, it was obvious to me that this drug is out there everywhere and it is a concern.

I believe awareness is the key and we truly do owe it to ourselves to keep informed for the sake of our loved ones, our communities and the people who risk their lives every day to make our world a safe place to live!