Anonymous writes "One $5 hit can have crippling consequences, attacking the central nervous system and giving a high so powerful that officials say the user can instantly become an addict.
According to a provincial report, more people have sought help for meth abuse in the last five years in the Fraser Health Authority ( FHA ) than any other region in B.C. The Tri-Cities is one of the worst areas, with increasing numbers of young women in the clutches of the drug. This past spring, RCMP uncovered a meth lab in Port Coquitlam - an operation so loaded that police said it could have blown at any time.
To combat the problem, the city of PoCo last week rolled out its Meth Watch program, a drive to get retailers who sell meth ingredients to work with the police and fire department to curb the spread of meth production.
Participating retailers are asked to post Meth Watch stickers to warn meth producers that their actions are under scrutiny. Staff seeing a customer buying the products in bulk are asked to turn the patron away and/or to call an RCMP chemical diversion hotline.
Meth Watch has been working in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows since March. Mounties here say the education campaign has been a success in terms of making retailers and law enforcement officials more aware of what's going on in the community.
But it's difficult to say what type of impact Meth Watch is having on criminals. Meth remains a scourge in that community, like the Tri-Cities, likely because meth producers can easily drive to the next community to buy their goods by the case load. Still, pro-active measures are being taken. Retailers need to be vigilant about meth and send a message that it's not okay to do business here.
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