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6 THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007 EDITORIAL Distributed to every home in Acton and area as well as adjoining communities. 373 Queen Street East, Unit 1 Acton, Ontario L7J 2N2 email: thenewtanner@on.aibn.com Mike OLeary Angela Tyler Rebecca Ring Publisher Editorial Ted Tyler Hartley Coles Editorial Contributors Advertising and Circulation Composing Marie Shadbolt Bruce Cargill Danielle McIsaac with Hartley Coles (519) 853-0051 Fax: (519) 853-0052 Every effort will be made to see advertising copy, neatly presented, is correctly printed. The publisher assumes no financial responsibility for typographical errors or omissions in advertising, but will gladly reprint without charge that part of an advertisement in which an error may occur provided a claim is made within five days of publication. All articles, advertisements and graphic artwork appearing in The New Tanner is copyrighted. Any usage, reproduction or publication of these items, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher of The New Tanner is a copyright infringement and subject to legal action. Continued on page 7 The Just Say No mantra is not enough to keep your kids safe from potentially lethal drugs, like crystal meth now widely available, especially in smaller communities and rural areas across Ontario. The RCMP says theyre seeing increasing use of methamphet- amines including ecstasy, PCP (angel dust) and this dangerous groups latest deadly addition, crystal meth. While these drugs are available in larger cities, crystal meth use is most prevalent in small town Ontario where theres a supply of chemical ingredients common in farm products like ammonia, police say. Parents in smaller communities may not think this kind of viper drug is available to their kids, says Cynthia Kiy, a social worker at Covenant House, a Toronto youth shelter. But a great many of the youth we see who are struggling with its serious physical and mental effects have come to us from small town Ontario. This drug is so highly addictive that trying it even once can lead kids into a highly dangerous and potentially fatal nightmare that can destroy families, Cynthia says. Crystal meth is more addictive than crack cocaine or heroin. When inhaled or smoked, it triggers an intense rush or flash and then a feeling of euphoria, loss of appetite and heightened alertness that lasts for up to 12 hours. Its cheap and can be had for about $10 a hit or point It is an odorless, white crystalline powder that also dissolves easily in water or alcohol, although it also comes in capsule form. Also known as ice, glass, crystal or tina, it is made in clandestine, unsanitary amateur labs with easily accessible ingredients like cold medicine, red iodine and phosphorus. It may also include Drano, ammonia and lithium taken from batteries. Crystal meth has serious health risks. Addicts may experience serious adverse psychological effects such as delusions, psychotic episodes and memory loss. They may commit impulsive acts of violence. Long-term use can lead to permanent brain, liver and kidney damage. Sadly, there is no quick fix for this dependency. Once it takes hold. Parents who notice any drastic changes in their childs per- sonality or habits should look for warning signs such as declining grades, withdrawal from family and friends, erratic behaviour, agitation, extended alertness, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, weight loss and increased demands for money, among others. Covenant house says there is no substitute for being an active, involved parent in controlling the use of the drug. Keep the lines of communication open with your child. Start early and talk often. This is not a subject to leave for the school or your kids friends to handle. Know who your kids friends are, where they are and what theyre doing, Covenant House advises. Good advise for parents everywhere but especially in small towns and rural areas. Crystal meth lethal To the editor, I am writing in response to the article and the recent editorial in the New Acton Tanner regarding Peer Outreach Support Services & Education (POSSE) Projects request for sustainable funding to Halton Regions Health and Social Services Committee. I dont believe that POSSE was contacted by anyone from The New Tanner to learn first hand the facts of what POSSE offers to the community and what is paid for by taxpayers. I am a supporter of POSSEs work, so I called to enquire about the facts, and I share them with you and your readers. I interviewed Kimm Kent, who helped start the program, and who has been running it for several years. Peer Outreach Support Ser- vices & Education (POSSE) is a free service providing training, street level outreach, informa- tion and support to encourage safer decision making in reduc- ing the risks associated with drug use, sex, homelessness, violence and discrimination. POSSE is a harm reduction and human rights project, run by youth for youth between the ages of 15-24, living in North Halton. POSSE also provides youth with rides to shelters, food banks, and accompanies them to obtain government services and crisis intervention. POSSE is currently funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and United Way of Halton Hills and United Way of Milton. POSSE has been operating in North Halton for four years outreaching over 2,000 contacts annually. Youth are trained as out- reach workers and 6 youth (2 from Acton, 2 from Georgetown and 2 from Milton) receive an honoraria of $10 per hour to participate. This year from January to June 2007 POSSE had 63 youth attend training. The outreach workers meet youth where they are atthe mall, parks, on the street, etc., as a prevention, early intervention and harm reduction strategy to reduce HIV, Hepatitis C, overdose, and other forms of harm. Harm reduction is also a way to let drug users know someone cares if they live or die. In 2006, POSSE made 433 client contacts providing support and/or safer drug use information kits, includ- ing safer crack use kits, to drug users as a early intervention and harm reduction strategy. Crack users can both inject and smoke crack. POSSE has seen a shift from injecting to smoking crack, demonstrating a need for crack users to have access to safer crack use information kits. As a harm reduction strategy smoking crack is safer than injecting, although it is still a high risk activity. You asked the question, Should taxpayers pay for crack kits? I believe taxpayers should pay POSSE supporter says it has never receive taxpayers funds LETTER NO GOOSE POOP: When the decoy geese which the Beermans, Georgina and David Beerman of Rural Rockwood were stolen in 2006 there was a universal display of sympathy. New geese arrived February of this year and they are up their unusual antics. Here they are enjoying a drive-in movie in an assortment of vehicles. Too late to catch in now on Hwy 7 curve just east of Rockwood. Now theyve gone back to school. Whats Your Beef? Put it in a letter to the Editor! Deadline is Tuesday at noon.