Langley Times (15 May 2005)

The use of crystal meth has reached 'epidemic proportions' and community organizations and service providers in Langley need to come together and find ways to eradicate this destructive drug.?

"We can no longer cover our eyes and think it will not happen here," say Langley RCMP officers who put together an all-day crystal meth awareness workshop attended by more than 160 people on Wednesday.?

That was the message heard by politicians, mental health workers, service groups, probation officers, police, school and addiction counselors who turned out to the forum held at the Murrayville fire hall.?

"Studies have shown that being high on crystal meth is similar to having a brain injury," said Peace Arch Community & Addictions Services youth counsellor Kevin Letourneau.?

"Crystal meth addicts don't have a capacity see consequences, it leads to behaviours they would never do.? They no longer experience moral reasoning or empathy.?

"Treatment issues are different for crystal meth users.? The biggest problem is they won't show for treatment, even after it's been set up for them, and the relapse rate is very high," he said.? "It's a nasty drug to treat."

Letourneau told the crowd that getting clean isn't the end of this addiction because the drug causes long-term psychosis.?

"When they're high on meth they can be psychotic, but unlike other drugs they don't come down off that psychosis.? I've had a teen come to me and say 'I've been nine months clean, when am I going to stop hearing the voices in my head?'" he said.?

"When they are high on crystal meth it elevates the dopamine levels in their brain," he said.? By using up the body's dopamine, addicts use up all their "feel good chemicals.' Not only does this cause rapid aging, it makes them unable to experience pleasure for a long time afterward, he said.?

"They say to themselves when they're clean 'if this is reality, it sucks' and they go back to using," said Letourneau.?

A shocking documentary titled "Death by JIB," was shown to the crowd.? It has two poignant connections to Langley - a meth lab and a former teen addict.? Shown more than 350 times, the documentary is a prevention tool to be used by schools.? It's graphic and has no adult 'talking heads' in it, said Letourneau.?

"Kids told me they won't listen to an adult but they'll listen to what another teen is telling them," he said.? A Grade 7 teacher in the audience just showed it to her students with good response.?

A Langley teen, who is the only sober youth in the film, tells how she ruined people's lives when she used crystal meth ( JIB ).? She used the drug in Grade 8 to lose weight.?