Getting Started

Sometimes there’s an obvious opening for a conversation. You may have seen a news item together on TV or heard that your child’s class discussed crystal meth recently.

Other times you need to start cold. “I want to talk to you about crystal meth. I think you need to know about how dangerous it is.”

Another option is to give your child this booklet to read and then follow up to discuss it afterwards.

Meth facts

• Crystal meth is highly addictive and the addiction takes hold very quickly. Addicts begin to “binge and crash,” taking more of the drug more often.
• Crystal meth is sometimes called jib, crank, meth, crystal, ice, glass, chalk or speed.
• Users swallow, inhale, smoke or inject it.
• While someone is high on crystal meth, their judgment is severely impaired. They’re a lot more likely to make very bad decisions – including taking other dangerous drugs and engaging in unprotected sex.
• Methamphetamine use is still fairly uncommon among kids. The latest figures for Manitoba show that about three per cent of high school students tried the drug in the past year. (Source: Alcohol and Other Drug Use in Manitoba Students Report by the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, 2005)