Crank. Grit. Ice. Jib. These are just some of the names for crystal methamphetamine and if Jasperites aren’t familiar with them now, they should be getting in the know, according to the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission.

“Crystal meth is coming up over and over again as a substance of concern,” said AADAC’s Tasha Symon in a presentation to the Municipality of Jasper during Tuesday’s Council meeting.

“We know certainly that crystal meth is already present in the community, though not at the level of Hinton,” she said. “But Hinton started small.”

The Yellowhead corridor has long been identified as a problem area within the province when it comes to meth use, Symon said.

“There has always been this corridor of Edson, Hinton and Drayton (Valley). Our Edson office saw its first case in 1988.”

The drug initially spread north into British Columbia from the Pacific Northwest of the United States, before beginning an eastward push towards Jasper and area.

“It’s now more widespread through Saskatchewan and Alberta,” said Symon.

When the drug arrives in communities, serious social problems begin to present themselves as people become addicted.

“Hinton has seen a great increase in property crime,” said Symon. There are many problems for service providers as well, such as arranging care for children being removed from meth-addicted parents. The most serious results, however, are the physical after effects for the users themselves, she said.

Taking the highly addictive drug puts severe stress on the vascular system, meaning that addicts are at major risk for a heart attack or stroke, even years after they stopped taking the drug.

“Most deaths in Hinton have been related to heart attacks and strokes rather than overdosing,” said Symon. 

There are also mental health issues arising from an addiction to crystal meth, including hallucinations and paranoia. The latter makes helping users recover very difficult, according to Symon.

The drug also has what Symon describes as a “devastating” effect on the physical appearance of those who take it. Associated conditions include acne scarring and “meth mouth,” which involves extensive, unsightly tooth decay and gum disease.  

Considerably altered behaviour is another consequence of taking the drug. Addicts can be argumentative, irritable and nervous while also going for extended periods without sleep or food.

“It’s a sign for parents if they start hearing their kids pacing all through the night,” Symon said.

The long waking hours and the feelings of self-confidence derived from taking the drug are cited by users as reasons why they take crystal meth.

“I’ve had clients tell me that it was the best they ever felt,” Symon told councillors.

Meth users sometimes begin taking the drug in order to deal with extensive job hours, one reason why the drug has become a significant problem in Hinton where the pulp, mining and oil patch industries are dominant sources of employment.

“Some people start to use it as an upper so that they can stay up later and earn more money,” Symon said, adding that jobs in the service industry are also prone to long, repetitive shift work.

Use of the drug is not limited to a particular demographic. The AADAC office in Hinton has seen a wide range of users in their offices.

“We’ve seen people in their forties and fifties right on down to users in their teen years,” said Symon. 

The drug can be easily obtained in large part because it can be created using basic ingredients and in a small space.

“Batches can be made in a kitchen, bathtub or in the trunk of a car,” Symon said. “If people wanted to make it, they could.” Recipes are easily available on the internet. A Google search for “crystal meth recipe” returned more than 138,000 results.

Councillor Brian Nesbitt asked Symon what measures taken by AADAC and other groups in Hinton had been effective in fighting the drug.

“Drug problems are really our drug problems,” she said. A drug action group formed in Hinton to combine local efforts has enabled various concerned groups to begin working co-operatively.

“It gets us all working together instead of pointing fingers,” she said. Beyond supporting addicts and dealing with the aftermath, the group also concerns itself with risk factors for drug use to try to prevent young people from beginning a meth habit.

In terms of helping addicted users recover, Symon said that regional rehabilitation facilities would be very helpful. Demand for the limited rehab space in larger centres is quite high.

“There are waiting lists,” she said. “Right now it is a very busy time because people want to be out in time for Christmas.” A residential treatment facility in Hinton or Grande Cache could become a reality if local  support is indicated.

“The government would likely want to see Hinton prove that they can come up with some funding for a facility and then they would support it,” Symon said, adding that the provincial priority has been to provide facilities for young addicts as of late. 

Residential treatment is only part of the equation, however, as recovering addicts need continued support and monitoring in their own communities after leaving residential programs. 

“Making them come home into the same situation is setting them up to fail,” she said.

AADAC is facilitating a drug awareness forum for young people and parents on Monday (November 21) at the McCready Centre in the United Church. 

“It’s so we can identify problems but also so that we can work together to plan solutions,” Symon said. “It’s open to anybody and everybody who is concerned about this.”

The forum begins at seven p.m. and a donation for the food bank is requested.