It's cheap. It's easy to get. And it feels incredible.
But the initial high of crystal meth quickly gives way to the kind of addiction that dismantles people's lives.
This is the reality that Vancouver's Green Thumb Theatre hopes to get across. It brings its new show, Cranked, to Montreal this month as part of a North American tour of high schools.
The 50-minute one-man show follows Stan, a 17-year-old rising hip hop emcee, on his descent into meth addiction.
Vancouver resident Kyle Cameron, 26, plays Stan.
"It really does get quite dark," he said. "Often this kind of message sounds very after-school-special, and kids see right through it. For me, the amazing part of this show is it actually seems to be reaching them, because it doesn't preach." Stan's music, written by Vancouver hip hop artists Kyprios and Stylust, also helps him connect with the audience. Cameron says he had to do a lot of research to convincingly embody a young rapper.
Grade 11 student Valerie Groulx saw the show last week with her classmates at Dorval Jean XXIII high school, and said everyone was impressed.
"I loved the music best," she said. "A lot of kids use music to express themselves. Rap was a good way to give us the message." Green Thumb's general manager, Ivan Habel, says the show has really taken off. The group has been developing plays to teach young people about social issues for 33 years.
"The powers-that-be don't want to believe it's an epidemic," said Gerald Sidel, founder of the Addington Addiction Treatment Centre in Montreal. "But crystal meth has had a huge impact. And kids, they're the target." Crystal meth is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It comes in powder form that looks like little crystals, and it can be smoked, snorted or injected. One-tenth of a gram is all it takes to get high, and this can cost as little as $5.
Local artist and health advocate Kat Coric says it's difficult to find accurate statistics about crystal meth use here, but there's no denying its effect.
"I've seen it destroy communities from Los Angeles to New York," she says, "and slowly but surely, it's crept into Montreal." RCMP Cpl. Jacques Bordeleau says crystal meth hasn't penetrated Montreal to the extent is has on the west coast, but there is a growing trend.
And that pushes Cameron to act. "I tell them, this is your life, it's your choice," the actor said. "But it's important to take this story with you and let it empower you to ask questions, so when the decision has to be made, when someone hands you something at a party, you'll be equipped." Visit www.youtheatre.ca for more on the play's Quebec tour.
