Crystal meth: a recipe for anguish

SUMMERSIDE -You don't control it. It controls you. With one hit of crystal meth, people are addicted and what follows is nothing short of terrifying.
"There is just no upside to it. Period," said East Prince RCMP Const. Scott Lundrigan. "This stuff here, it takes over."
Earlier this summer, RCMP made the first seizure of the drug, - one ounce, worth an estimated $5,400. The dealer, a first time offender, was sentenced to two years in a federal prison.
It was during sentencing Judge Jeff Lantz announced crystal meth's official arrival on P.E.I.
"We know, in all likelihood, we are going to see more of this, which is depressing," said Lundrigan. "We know the impact it's had on other communities. That's our biggest fear, that it is a highly addictive drug."
Crystal meth rivals cocaine and crack as the most dangerous street drugs. It resembles a sugar crystal and its colour can vary from white to green to brown, depending on the cooking process.
Made from a concoction of chemicals - from drain cleaner to Coleman fuel - one hit of crystal meth can be lethal.
"Just using it once can cause the addictiveness to start right away," said Const. Reg Campbell of the RCMP's drug and organized crime awareness section.
Although more expensive than cocaine by quantity, less crystal meth is required for an "amazing high". At $20 a point - a tenth of a gram - it's double the price of cocaine.
"A high from cocaine may last an hour and they start to come down," said Lundrigan. "The high from this can be several hours to a day or more from one hit."
Most often, crystal meth is smoked, giving an almost immediate "rush" - it's coming down that hurts.
"To them, it's psychologically, physically, emotionally, such a down that they try to find ways to either get more of it or get something else," said Lundrigan. "They go to huge amounts of cannabis if they can get their hands on it to try to soften the crash their experiencing."
Now that the drug is here, it will be hard to get rid of.
"It's not going to go away," said Lundrigan. "We can't ignore it, so we really have to go out and confront it head on."

nmacphee@journalpioneer.com