Melanie Cummings, Special to the Beaver Published on Sep 15, 2007

A police officer and politician are doing more than just thinking about the recent powerful presentation by Mark McLaughlin, president of the Crystal Meth Society of British Columbia. McLaughlin's information set Oakville Ward 1 Councillor Ralph Robinson on a mission to put in place a bylaw that allows the municipality to shut down suspected clandestine labs.

And Halton drug enforcement officer Detective Sergeant Robert Waller assured McLaughlin he would look into testing future drug seizures for crystal meth content. (It's an inexpensive filler sometimes used to bulk up other drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana).

Although Waller hasn't seen evidence of crystal methane being distributed locally, "I'm not naïve enough to think it's not here," he added.

The presentation was made at the Halton Region Administrative Centre, 1151 Bronte Rd.

In a room full of educators, paramedics, social workers, community service and health workers, the possibilities for safeguarding the region with information are great.

For now, the reactions of Robinson and Waller are reassuring to McLaughlin, who discovered a void of information about the manufactured drug when one of their children became meth involved at age 14.

He and his wife Ruth set to work on filling the abyss by founding a registered charity in 2006. In the interim they educated about 8,000 students, built a website (www.crystalmethbc.ca) and set up a community watch program to educate store clerks and homeowners alike.

McLaughlin is intent on helping communities across the county "put on their crystal meth glasses" to clearly see and expose the detritus of this cheap, easily made and accessed drug.

"It thrives especially when it is allowed to permeate unnoticed," said McLaughlin.

Called 'jib,' 'meth', 'gak', 'speed', 'crank', 'ice', 'shard', 'sketch', 'crystal' and 'tina', it's a white or off-white powder or crystal that is injected, inhaled, smoked, or eaten.

Crystal meth is made from easily acquired ingredients found in pharmacies, hardware and grocery stores. It can be easily made in portable labs as small as a bathtub.

For a $5 to $10 dose, the high lasts eight hours or more, is three times as powerful as crack cocaine and is described by users interviewed in a film called Death by Jib as "the worst drug in the world."

It is certainly the most addictive in current use. Dopamine in our brains rises to 100 parts per million (ppm) after eating chocolate, to 350 ppm with cocaine use and to 1,200 ppm when a person takes crystal meth.

"Every kid and their parents should be forewarned," said McLaughlin. "Forewarned is forearmed."

In the B.C. dad/activist's presentations to middle and high school students, he teaches them ways to say no to someone offering drugs. "Leave the room, make a joke of it, or avoid eye contact."

Parents and community caregivers should be aware of the warning signs that someone is using crystal meth: insomnia, or sleeping for several days, decreased appetite, extreme energy, rapid speech, excessive sweating, sudden aggression, and a completely altered personality.

Crystal meth causes paranoia, hallucinations, rages, violent behaviour, depression and leaves users bereft of logic, ration and emotional capacity.

"Users get to the point where meth becomes the solution to the problem of crystal meth," said McLaughlin.