THUNDER BAY -- Provincial police are seeing a rise in crystal methamphetamine use in Northwestern Ontario.
Det. staff Sgt. Chad Culbert said officers are seeing an alarming trend in the number of seizures and investigations involving methamphetamine in the districts of Rainy River and Kenora.
This isn’t unusual for the province.
“Every area in Ontario goes through different drug trends but because of that we are seeing a rise in crystal methamphetamine,” Culbert said.
“Drug trends change periodically. It’s just the supply and demand and the availability of the drug in Northwestern Ontario.
Individuals rely heavily on major cities such as Winnipeg and other areas, so when those areas get an influx of crystal methamphetamine and any other drug it flows into the smaller communities.
“(It only takes one time) and you can be addicted to the drug, so that definitely poses significant risks to the communities of Northwestern Ontario.”
Crystal meth is a dangerous drug causing harms and addictions, which cause additional resources required for those suffering.
Culbert said the drug is extremely addictive, and can cause serious health conditions including memory loss, aggression, psychotic behaviour, and heart and brain damage.
He added so far, all the charges have been for possession, trafficking and officers have seen an increase in the volume of products seized.
“The seizures have more than doubled the arrests, charges and occurrences from 2015 to 2016 in the Northwest region,” Culbert said.
“We are always trying to adjust our ways of policing and addressing the commodities at hand that we are faced with and again with crystal meth.”
