Advisory Committee presents meth information

Advisory Committee on meth crisis hilds public session, plans second session for Blackville on October 9th.

A Community Advisory Committee headed up by Dr. John McCann, has been meeting regularly to discuss ways to address the methamphetamine crisis in Miramichi.  The group began meeting late in 2018 and includes community leaders and politicians, healthcare and addiction workers, representatives from Social Development and the Miramichi Police Department.

The committee held an information session at the hospital on October 1st, and will be having a second session in Blackville on October 9th at the Blackville School cafeteria from 7-9pm.

The Miramichi had a capacity crowd at the lecture theatre at the hospital on the second floor and there were short presentations from a few of the committee members followed by questions from the public.  

The following night about 100 people attended a meeting at the Vogue Theatre with the goal of organizing community watch groups. The event was organized by Tara Ross-Robinson. Sixty people initially said they would participate, and the number has been growing since that night.  The groups will be patrolling certain neighbourhoods, and using social media to alert residents of anything going in their areas.

Here is a condensed version of the questions and responses the event at the hospital.

How can we advise politicians on these issues?

Dr. McCann said we have to consider all options and continue to communicate with out elected officials.  Options could include other revenue streams to fund treatment and addiction, or decriminalizing drug use as has been done in other parts of the world.  McCann said the end goal is to reunite addicts with the communities and families and get them back in the workforce.

How can people volunteer and help?

Ray Arseneault, a pastor at the Skyway to Heaven Church near Cole Crescent, explained that a group is attempting to bring a rehab and housing facility tio Miramichi, and they are looking for help to find a location.  They would accept help from volunteers in getting set up and once they are up and running. Cal Maskrey, who was also in attendance, is a former addict and convict who set up Harvest House in Moncton many years with great success, and hopes to do the same in Miramichi.

How can we get traffickers off the street?

Jody Whyte of the MPF said that in order to arrest a trafficker they need information from the people who are buying from them.  He said there is nothing he’d like to do more than bust in a door and make a drug bust, but in order to get a warrant, a judge must be satisfied about the reliability information.  Whyte said users are very reluctant to disrupt their supply of the drug therefore are not helpful.

Why are more people using crystal meth?  Is it age related?

Dr. McCann said the meth problem existed in Japan a long time ago, and has been migrating east across Canada from British Columbia for the past ten years.  Users are mostly for opiate addicts, and the drug is very cheap and accessible. He said the one thing most addicts have in common are unresolved issues such as past personal trauma.

A reformed addicts speaks out.

A woman in attendance said she got hooked on meth when she was 13 years old.  She did not indicate how long she was an addict, but said she was clean for 8 years.  Dr. Sanjay asked her what made her quit, and she admitted it was a failed suicide. She said she didn’t die, and made her think that she was meant for more, and a month later she was pregnant with another reason to kick the habit.  She is currently taking job training, and has two children. Dr. McCann asked the woman if she would join the advisory committee, and it appears that she will. She said one of her regrets was allowing her children to be witness to some of her bad relationships.

Do the police care about crime?

A man asked Jody Whyte why no one from the police department has called him back when the man called to see what was being done about the $7000 in tools that were stolen from his home.  Whyte said he would speak to the man after the meeting, and said that stolen items often turn up at pawn shops, and also during arrests at drug dealer’s homes. Whyte said pawn shops are helpful in identifying people who pawn stolen items.  He also said that stolen items are sometimes hard to identify, but in cases where people have 8 chainsaws, it seems obvious that they must be stolen.

Why is meth so addictive?

Dr. Sanjay said that there is still little scientific literature available about meth addiction.  Dr. McCann said that crystal meth raises dopamine levels. Dopamine is an organic chemical that functions both as a hormone and a neurotransmitter, and plays several important roles. The brain includes several distinct dopamine pathways, one of which plays a major role in the motivational component of reward-motivated behavior.  McCann said eating a hamburger raises dopamine levels to 50.  Morphine boosts it to 200, cocaine to 300, and crystal meth to 1100.    This causes withdrawl symptoms and a constant chasing of the high.

Integrated Service Delivery

When addicts get out of jail there can be gaps in the services they need in order to keep them from diving right back into the drug culture.  Brroke Casey of Social Development said there is a group of people who are working on an integrated service model that would bridge all those gaps at once for convicts prior to being released from jail.  She said the goal is to reduce the number of repeat offenders, and said abandoning the “meth head” stereotypes would also be helpful because they are real people with addictions.

Are the laws too lax?

Jody Whyte said that the maximum penalties for possession are 14 years, and life in prison for trafficking offenses.  He said the penalties are already very strict, and enforcement is not the complete answer. Some countries like Thailand have the death penalty for drug use, while other countries have decriminalized it.

How can identify someone who might be using crystal meth?

Various people answered this question saying users are hyper and talkative, often overly affectionate especially in young users, have dry mouth and scabs, are often irritable or violent, and sweat profusely.

A teacher wants to know more so she can help during the day.

Teacher said she thinks the internet and one-parent homes have led to kids being unable to cope with issues.  She said she sees kids vaping as young as 12 years old, telling her they need to so they can handle the stress of daily life.  A student responded at the session by saying that they are implementing some information sessions about mental health issues in high schools in an attempt to get talking  to each other about it and breaking the stereotypes around mental illness. The teacher said she wanted more information to help the kids, The reformed addict suggested having the children meet face to face with people who have had addiction issues, that simply showing them a video would not reach them in an effective way.