Exploring the truth about methamphetamine; Police and health working together

In an innovative partnership, York Region Health Services and York Regional Police recently joined forces to co-host a one-day educational summit to explore the truth about methamphetamine and other illicit drugs in the community.

Methamphetamine is a high dependency drug that derives from the group of drugs called amphetamines. The white, odourless, transparent powder can be snorted, swallowed, smoked or injected. It is produced for recreational use in illegal labs.

Short-term health dangers of methamphetamine use include increased heart rate and blood pressure and potential overdose (seizures, heart attack, stroke, death). In addition to the short-term health risks, people who use methamphetamine for a longer period of time can develop amphetamine psychosis. Amphetamine psychosis involves consistent violent behaviour, as well as delusionary and hallucinatory experiences. The summit was a result of collaboration between Health

Services and the police to create a York Region Methamphetamine Strategy. This unique strategy combines the harm reduction messages delivered by public health and the enforcement messages regarding use, production and distribution communicated by police.

"It's a fact that our two organizations approach the issue of substance use from different perspectives," said Vaughan Councillor Joyce Frustaglio, chair of the health and emergency medical services committee or York Regional council. "Bringing together these two perspectives under one program is ground-breaking and, we have learned, effective."

"That's the bottom line," she added. "Together we are confronting illicit drug use head on - effectively and proactively."

Various educational sessions, delivered by field experts, spoke to the many aspects of methamphetamine, including enforcement, treatment, analysis and preparation and prevention. Keynote speaker David Jacobson, of the United States

Drug Enforcement Agent (DEA), discussed with various frontline healthcare promotion specialists, emergency first responders, addiction clinicians and policing professionals the present relationship of importing and exporting illegal drugs between Canada and the U.S.

In Canada, the use of methamphetamine, which is also known as meth, crank or ice, is relatively low in comparison to use of other illegal drugs.

York Region has not felt the same impact of methamphetamine as other communities, but it is not immune to its effects either. It is the goal of this strategy to minimize the influence of methamphetamine in our community by continuing to educate health care and policing professionals on these important issues.

To obtain a copy of the York Region Methamphetamine Strategy or for more information on the substance abuse program or other health-related topics, contact Health Services Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 or visit www.york.ca