Dianne Malcolm and other concerned parents of Grade 12 students decided that the best gift they could give their grads was education.

On May 10, two sessions were held in Lundar. One at the school and an evening one at the hall where the stories of former local resident Zachary Dickson and Winnipeg's Carol Johnson hit home.

"Colleen was a honour student who enjoyed brownies and Girl Guides, soccer and should have had it all," Johnson said of her daughter Colleen. "When she turned 15-and-a-half, she changed."

It was about that time, Carol suspected Colleen had been introduced to crystal meth. The changes in her daughter were so profound. Her infectious laugh and loving nature disappeared. Colleen had changed into someone nobody recognized.

"She became a conniving liar and would be gone for days at a time. We were constantly filing missing persons reports to the police. She'd be gone for five or six days but it seemed like years. We no longer knew Colleen," Johnson said.

Colleen would receive calls from strangers and began to steal money from her parents. She became abusive to her family to the point they feared for their safety.

"We agreed to see a psychologist. But that only lasted five sessions because Colleen continued to use the drug. It became a waste of time and money," Johnson said of a failed strategy. "We tried desperately to save her life but the doctors said she wasn't a threat to herself. Everywhere we turned, the doors were slammed."

The Johnsons desperately wanted to find help for their daughter but drug rehab was not available for Colleen. They would drive the streets for hours looking for her at the Legislative building grounds during the evening. Sometimes they would find her. More often they wouldn't.

One night the call came that Colleen had been arrested. Relieved that her daughter was in custody, the Johnsons begged that she be kept and put into a rehab program. They reasoned that the experience might scare some sense into their daughter. But because Colleen was a minor, the police, though sympathetic, could not comply. Colleen was returned to her parents' charge.

"Her bedroom at the end of the hall developed a horrible smell of death. The meth was eating her organs and the odour was seeping through her pores," Johnson said. "Colleen really believed that once she reached 18, everything would return to normal. She died three weeks short of her birthday."

Johnson believes the methamphetamine would have killed her daughter within a year of that milestone event but a horrifying car accident claimed the life of Colleen Johnson.

"The last time I saw her alive, she walked into the house and said that it felt like she hadn't seen us forever. She told us that she loved us," Johnson said tearfully. "To the youth who do drugs, it's not cool. Don't end up like Colleen. Be yourself, not who somebody wants you to be."

Keep loving them

Zachary Dickson humbly admits that he spent most of his youth in a drug- and alcohol-induced state while living in Lundar. Looking around the room of about 150 people, most of them friends of his family, he apologized and asked forgiveness for all the trouble, pain and worry he caused.

Dickson left Lundar and made his way to Winnipeg. He continued with his lifestyle for almost 15 years before he hit bottom. He found the courage and resources available for him to turn his life around and is now married with children. He credits the community with planting the seeds of love which gave him the strength to rise above and heal.

"I was encouraged by the love in this community. For all those who talked to me all those years ago, you were planting seeds of hope," Dickson said of the community support. "So when you see these kids, keep lovin' them, invite them over, don't turn a blind eye to what they're going through. Your loving could be the icing on the cake. It provides hope and encouragement and the belief that all things are possible. Love is powerful."

Dickson's firsthand experience with substance abuse enables him to make a personal connection with the kids. The fact that he was able to survive and become a productive member of society is a miracle.

"Drugs rob you of your destiny and your family," Dickson said. "I've missed so many years with my family, and things need to be restored. I now celebrate birthdays with my twin sister Jenny ... and there's so much love. Good things are happening"

Recognizing the signs

Methamphetamine was first developed around 1917 and was used as a stimulant during the First World War. It was used to give soldiers a boost as they would be able to sustain long periods of wakefulness and need little food. The effects of the chemical substance on the soldiers was so profound, the military quit using it.

Even during the height of the drug revolution in the '60s and '70s, organic based products were the drugs of choice. With the accessibility of information on the Internet, methamphetamine recipes began to surface about 10 years ago in the United States. The drug has made its way to Canada and surfaced as a commonplace in the last five years.

"Meth is here and it's waiting to get people addicted," said Sgt. Marc Samson of Winnipeg's Drug and Organized Crime Awareness Unit. "It's a synthetic stimulant with a high that can last from two to 16 hours. It's addictive from the first time you try it; after that, you can't control yourself any more."

Samson explained that the first time high on meth is so euphoric that the instant rush overrides anything the body can produce naturally.

Generally when people wake up in the morning, they are at their baseline. Coffee is a high as the caffeine stimulates the dopamine in your brain bringing that baseline up to about 80 or 90 per cent. Once the caffeine wears off, people are generally satisfied at being back at baseline again or creating the boost with another cup of coffee.

"The problem with meth is that instead of coming back down to a baseline, people crash well below, which makes the drug irresistible," he says of the hook. "But there are three dangers to the drug."

Symptoms of meth addiction are aggressive, violent behaviour, loss of appetite and paranoia.

Samson explained that the chemical reaction meth causes in the brain creates hallucinations and the sensation that bugs are crawling under the skin. Users will scratch, often to the bone and find no relief. The belief that someone is after them either for the drug or to kill them is so strong, meth users will attack as though they are fighting for their life. Professionals are advised not to approach someone if they are found in that state.

"Meth adds 10 to 15 years to your life -- it will kill you," states Samson. "You'll lose your appetite and will feel a rise in your body temperature. Even two hours after death, the body temperature keeps rising as it burns your organs."

For every pound of methamphetamine created, there is six pounds of toxic waste generated. Samson advised the crowd to be on the lookout for meth labs. Many of the sites found are created in small places such as closets, kitchens and garage corners. He cautioned that the toxic fumes can often be deadly and are highly flammable.

"If you suspect a meth lab in your area, call the police. The places are often booby-trapped to ward off thieves and you'd be putting yourself at risk," advised Samson.