{"id":31670,"date":"2019-01-18T03:51:28","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T11:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=31670"},"modified":"2019-01-16T10:46:11","modified_gmt":"2019-01-16T18:46:11","slug":"effects-of-crystal-meth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2019\/01\/18\/effects-of-crystal-meth\/","title":{"rendered":"Effects of crystal meth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman speaks at\nthe Nov. 22 forum Wide Awake. According to Ivy Kopstein of Jewish Child and\nFamily Service of Winnipeg, he \u201cis advocating to all levels of government for\nresources to deal with this health crisis.\u201d (photo by Nik Rave)<\/em><\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is a significant issue in both Winnipeg and\nVancouver,\u201d Dr. Ruth Simkin told the Independent<\/em>. \u201cIn Vancouver, it has\nbeen overshadowed by the opioid crisis, but is a significant problem there,\ntoo. It is seen in the Winnipeg Jewish community. I don\u2019t have stats on its\nprevalence in this particular group, but it is likely similar to other\npopulations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simkin is a family physician working at a\ncommunity health clinic in Winnipeg and part-time with the addictions\nunit\/addictions consult service at the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) and Rapid\nAccess Addictions Medicine (RAAM). The JI<\/em> recently interviewed her about\naddiction; in particular, to methamphetamine, in light of a Nov. 22 forum in\nWinnipeg on the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wide Awake \u2013 An Eye-Opening Look at\nMethamphetamine in Winnipeg was held at the Asper Jewish Community Campus. It\nwas co-presented by Jewish Child and Family Service (JCFS) of Winnipeg, Gray\nAcademy of Jewish Education and the Rady Jewish Community Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amphetamines were developed in the late 1900s\nand used commercially from about 1930 for various reasons, including nasal\ncongestion and to keep soldiers awake. Because of their adverse effects and\naddictive properties, however, their use became legally restricted in the\n1970s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Methamphetamine (crystal meth) belongs to the\namphetamine class of drugs \u2013 stimulants that speed up the body\u2019s central\nnervous system. Although not legally available in Canada, crystal meth has been\nused recreationally for a very long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe initial effects of methamphetamine on the\nuser are a sense of well-being or euphoria, increased energy and alertness,\nincreased confidence and little need for food or sleep,\u201d said Simkin. \u201cUnwanted\npotential side effects include racing heart, dry mouth, nausea and vomiting,\nanxiety and restlessness. It can also produce paranoia, delusions and\naggressive and violent behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMethamphetamine comes as a powder that can be\nused by ingesting, snorting, smoking or injecting,\u201d explained Dr. Erin Knight,\nmedical director of the HSC\u2019s addictions program, who was a Wide Awake panelist.\n\u201cIt also comes in a crystal form (crystal meth). It is produced in illegal labs\nwith fairly inexpensive and sometimes toxic ingredients. It may be made with\ningredients from antifreeze, batteries and cleaning fluid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is estimated that one percent of students in\nManitoba from grades 7 to 12 have tried methamphetamine over the last year. It\nis easily accessible and inexpensive. Its price has dropped significantly in\nthe last few years, from approximately $30 per gram to $10 per gram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her work at the HSC, it is common for Simkin\nto see patients who use meth, usually along with other drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is a growing problem,\u201d said Simkin about\nthe use of the drug. \u201cIt is very accessible, cheap, has a prolonged effect on\nthe user \u2013 six to eight hours if injected and 10 to 12 hours if smoked \u2013 and it\nis very reinforcing (addictive). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs well, its effects are more unpredictable\nthan other drugs. The number of users has doubled over the last few years. And,\nwe\u2019re also seeing a shift from individuals smoking meth to them injecting\nmeth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Sheri Fandrey of the Addictions\nFoundation of Manitoba \u2013 who also was a Wide Awake panelist \u2013 drug mixing\nincreases the potential for challenging behaviours and the possibility of a\nserious overdose. That meth is bought and sold in an unregulated market\nincreases the risk that it may contain adulterants and contaminants that can\ncause further harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no specific treatment in terms of\nmedication,\u201d said Simkin regarding addiction to meth. \u201cThere is some evidence\nfor the use of motivational interviewing (MI) and rewards-based treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent Winnipeg Regional Health Authority\n(WRHA) report stated that, in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, 682 people who sought\ntreatment at the Addictions Foundation \nhad used meth over the prior 12 months. A year later, that number had\nincreased to 1,198. Meth was no longer being reported to be an occasional drug,\nand women were using more than in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs far as we know, meth use crosses all lines:\nrural\/urban, high\/low income and male\/female,\u201d said Simkin. \u201cHowever, as with\nother substances, there are higher risk groups. These higher risk groups are\nstudents, low-income, rural, homeless, disenfranchised groups and people with\nco-occurring mental health disorders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year\u2019s theme for Addictions Awareness\nWeek, chosen by the Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction, was \u201cAll\nWalks of Life.\u201d Substance use issues and addiction do not discriminate by age,\ngender, class or religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simkin said this is a complex and difficult\nissue, but suggested that having education programs in schools would be\nhelpful, as are forums such as Wide Awake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a community, Simkin said there are several\nthings that can be done to improve the situation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Reduce the stigma around substance use in\ngeneral, so people who need help aren\u2019t afraid to seek it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. In terms of government, increase funding for\ndetox beds and addiction treatment, including harm-reduction services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Work on other determinants of health, like\npoverty, housing and education, as well as mental health, to try to prevent\naddiction in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"photo
Ivy Kopstein, coordinator of the substance use and addictions program at Jewish Child and Family Service of Winnipeg, answers a question from CityTV at the forum Wide Awake. (photo by Nik Rave)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Another resource now available in Winnipeg are\nthe RAAM clinics that have been instituted recently by the WRHA to provide\nlow-barrier access to resources for individuals needing help with substances\nabuse issues, including crystal meth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe City of Winnipeg and law enforcement are\nresponding to the crisis on the streets and have included public education\nprograms in all areas of the city,\u201d said Ivy Kopstein, coordinator of the substance\nuse and addictions program at JCFS Winnipeg. \u201cOur mayor is advocating to all\nlevels of government for resources to deal with this health crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEmergency Medical Services (EMS) has now been\ngiven the authority to give meth users the antipsychotic drug Olanzapine,\u201d\nSimkin offered by way of an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a loved one has a substance abuse issue,\nit impacts the whole family, she said. Family members may feel stressed and\nanxious and it\u2019s important for them to also seek support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In British Columbia, the B.C. Centre on Substance Use (bccsu.ca<\/a>) \u201cis a provincially networked organization with a mandate to develop, help implement and evaluate evidence-based approaches to substance use and addiction.\u201d Other resources include Crystal Meth Anonymous (crystalmeth.org<\/a>), which is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous and lists a meeting place on Hornby Street in Vancouver, and Jewish Addiction Community Services (778-882-2994 or info@jacsvancouver.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rebeca Kuropatwa<\/strong> is a Winnipeg freelance writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman speaks at the Nov. 22 forum Wide Awake. According to Ivy Kopstein of Jewish Child and Family Service of Winnipeg, he \u201cis advocating to all levels of government for resources to deal with this health crisis.\u201d (photo by Nik Rave) \u201cIt is a significant issue in both Winnipeg and Vancouver,\u201d Dr. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[2551,5507,2864,8645],"class_list":["post-31670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","tag-addiction","tag-drugs","tag-health","tag-meth"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}