Crystal Meth Christmas

[sparkle]

I remember reading this story at Christmas and it encouraged me to go out and feed and talk to the 'Heathers' I see in my downtown neighborhood. Many of them are under 16 and caught up in the world of meth; I call it that because at some point it really becomes their world and their focus. How to get the money together, how to have someone else get the money together, where to use, where to sleep, how to get more. I have had kids beg me to get them into detox after they've been awake for five days and their friends, their belongings and their money are gone. Reality sucks. But you're 15 and addicted to a devastatingly damaging drug that is almost impossible to stop without intervention and there is no help when you most need it. You no longer are in school, can't live at home because you can no longer be trusted. You can't keep your appointments, you've probably messed up with the law, the family has changed the locks, and your friend wants to beat you up. The frustration and deep depression with heavy use just create a vicious circle and using is the only thing that makes these kids feel better. When something has that kind of control over you, you have an addiction. It is a medical problem. Your brain chemistry is all out of whack and you need help. So why isn't anyone providing it??

I have taken several kids to emergency with full blown paranoia and psychosis and it is still to hard to get them into the Archie Courtnall Centre. A tweaked out kid will just not wait 5-8 hours to be seen and they usually leave of their own accord. It seems to me that doctors and front line workers at clinics and hospitals need more resources and training to deal with the agitation and agressiveness of people under the influence of this drug. The police don't seem to know what to do with them...many have nowhere to go and those that do, don't want to be there. Where do we put these kids? The whole community needs to work together to find a way to get these night-kids a safe place to hang out where there is access to help around the clock. A kid who has been living on the street making his/her own rules needs alot more than a shower and a bed at night because as we've seen in the news, this epidemic is only going to get worse and it is sweeping through our schools at an alarming rate now.

I hope Heather found the help she needs and is safe at home now among people who love and care for her. These smart and creative kids, many too young to access social services, need to know that many of us care about them and are looking for immediate solutions.