IN THE NEWS| CRYSTAL METH - The London Free Press 10.20.2005 "Action Urged on Killer Meth" | Ontario must act now to curb the spread of crystal meth -- "the most horrible drug of addiction out there," the head of the province's pharmacists' association says.
In London yesterday to address area pharmacists, Marc Kealey, chief executive of the Ontario Pharmacists' Association, said the province has to act to prevent the cheap drug from taking over communities the way it has in the western provinces.
"Right now, we are being proactive.
"As soon as you're being reactive, it's too late," Kealey said.
"We want to focus on all drugs, but the biggest issue is the proliferation of crystal meth into our communities.
"The demographic is 13- to 18-year-olds. It's pathetic, and it's scary."
The Ontario Pharmacists' Association, which represents 10,000 pharmacists, has developed a strategy to educate its members and the public about crystal meth, often called the poor man's cocaine.
The drug, known as crystal, crank and ice on the street, can be made with over-the-counter cold and cough medicine, such as Sudafed, battery acid and anhydrous ammonia, a farm fertilizer.
The ingredients are cheap and easy to get, and recipes are all over the Internet.
A hit that lasts for days can cost as little as $10 and can be instantly addictive.
"Our people have to be aware and educated, and (those who make meth) need to know that people in this industry are aware of what they're doing, and that we're watching," Kealey said.
The Ontario Pharmacists' Association rolled out the Meth Watch program to pharmacies this fall. The program teaches pharmacists to be on the lookout for people buying large amounts of over-the-counter products to make meth.
Meth Watch stickers are also put up in pharmacies in an effort to deter the makers of meth, known as cooks, from entering the stores.
"People in pharmacies have to be trained so they know what they're looking for and they have to know how to counsel people about it," Kealey said.
Pharmacists are "the most accessible health-care providers" and can help combat the spread of the drug, he said.
"You see your pharmacist more than you see your doctor and we want the citizenry at large to know they can come to their pharmacist," he said.
"Young people think they're invincible. But when you're 15, your brain is still growing. You don't know that when you take a hit it automatically affects your central nervous system, and you could still be feeling the effects of it in 25 years."
The association is participating in Ontario's working group on crystal meth, started during the summer.
Stratford, one of the Ontario communities most affected by meth, is also a big player on the working group.
|
December 15, 2007
|
ABOUT US
