The Victoria-based Crystal Meth Society of B.C. will be bringing its message to the Alberni Valley, with five presentations set for March 11 and 12.

Director Mark McLaughlin said the society has reached over 40,000 B.C. students since it first took the tour on the road in 2006.

"We do school shows in the daytime and community hall presentations in the evening, and work with the media throughout to raise awareness," McLaughlin said.

To that end, they'll be making the presentation at 12:45 and 2:30 p.m. on March 11 at ADSS, followed by a 6:30 p.m. session at the Port Alberni Friendship Centre. Then on March 12, it's back for a third presentation at ADSS at 9 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. session at VAST.

The Meth Info show includes 37 minutes of video and slides, including the 18-minute video, Death by Jib. That's followed by a question-and-answer session.

"The video itself is a great bang for the buck, I don't think there's any better," McLaughlin said. "But it also need a proper wrapper, so we book-end it with an 'intro' and an 'extro .'" The Q&A sessions can be extremely lively - and emotional, he added.

The Port Alberni Community Crystal Meth Task Force, which was formed in late 2005, conducted a number of successful community events before disbanding in 2008. McLaughlin said the efforts of community groups across the province have had an effect on crystal meth use, but the problem definitely hasn't gone away.

"We've helped give meth a bad name. But drug dealers are still selling meth out the back door," he said. "Nowadays, most street drugs are laced with crystal meth. Our local ( Victoria ) RCMP have said that 50% of the ecstasy on the street tests hot for crystal meth - - some tests 100% meth. We had a number of children overdose on those pills lately."

McLaughlin noted that dealers are also cutting both powder and crack cocaine with crystal meth. It's cheap and it makes for a more prolonged high. But the trade-off is increased paranoia, psychosis and even death, he added. In the process, we've gone from sedated criminals ( heroin ) to extremely violent and unpredictable criminals with crack and meth.

"If you're following all that lead you see flying in the Lower Mainland, that's all about drugs," McLaughlin said.

The society has conducted surveys of students who see the Meth Info show, and it provides some interesting statistics, McLaughlin said.

"Twenty-two percent of the kids who see our show say they know someone who is meth-involved - 44% say they know someone who uses ecstasy," he said. "Thirty-seven per cent say meth is easy to get and 95% say they would never use meth after seeing our show - 96% recommend our show to others."

McLaughlin said the society is now working on a new program for Grade 4 and 5 students, in co-operation with the Victoria School District and the provincial education ministry.