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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2016-11-02, Page 1010 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, November 2, 2016 Cocaine use among 18 -25 -year-olds is growing in Huron County, says OPP Darryl Coote The popularity of cocaine with 18 to 25 year olds in Huron County is growing, said Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Detective Con- stable Max Miller. The Huron County Drug Office - Community Drug Action Team member said during a public forum the night of Oct. 19 that all street drugs are present in Huron County, but cocaine is becoming more popular with this demographic because it is seen as a party drug that has fewer nega- tive side effects than methamphetamine. "It's hard for us to com- bat cocaine usage because you can be a functioning addict but hold down a 9 -to -5 job. So it's hard for us to kind of get into the cocaine scene because it's not like methamphetamine where people are doing anything they have to do get it," he said. About 70 parents, teach- ers, healthcare professionals and other members of the public attended the drug information forum held by the Huron County Youth Jus- tice Committee Program to learn about drug identifica- tion, the effects of drugs on the body, safety concerns and emerging drugs in the region, such as cocaine, which local police say is becoming more popular in Huron, but specifically Goderich. "It's hard for us to get into it," Miller said. "We're work- ing on it." David Greer, provincial constable with the Huron detachment, then reminded the audience that while cocaine may be thought of as a party drug, buying it supports, among other things, organized crime such as the Triads and the Hells Angels, which have gained a foothold in Southern Ontario. He added that its sale sup- ports slave labour in South American countries where cocaine is made before being smuggled north. "So you might think, oh I'm just buying a little What if one company could solve all your business needs? cocaine to have some fun, but you're supporting all that behind it to get it into this country," Greer said. Its use could also lead to experimentation with more potent drugs, such as crack cocaine or methampheta- mine, which is also promi- nent in Huron County, Miller said. Though Miller was unable to provide statistics for the prevalence of any drug in the region, he wanted those in the crowd to know that these two drugs are here and they are a problem. "A few people don't believe Huron County has a methamphetamine prob- lem, but we're handing out hit kits," Miller said, holding up a Ziploc bag filled with non -reusable needles and other tools for the safe con- sumption of the drug. One peculiarity in the county concerning metham- phetamine is that people here are injecting it, an uncommon practice in other areas, Miller said, adding he is unsure of why. Fentanyl is a drug he hasn't seen much of in the region but he warned the audience to learn about this heroin -like narcotic because it is here and may become a problem as it was last year in Owen Sound where there were a handful of deaths and several people hospitalized for overdoses. "I haven't seen very much fentanyl in Huron County, but it is here and it is com- ing," he said. Drugs are also closely con- nected to crime in the region, he said, specifically petty thefts, stolen vehicles and smash and grab robberies. While there are no official statistics, "I would argue it's all interrelated," Miller said. Greer added that it makes sense to assume most crimes of opportunity are caused by people trying to scrounge up enough cash to buy drugs. "Drug dealers will accept watches, GPS's -- really any- thing with value," Miller said. By area, he said metham- phetamine is popular in the northern part of Huron as it is a drug closely associated with big cities, such as Strat- ford where it is a problem, and it is spreading to the north end of Perth County. Huron, with its agricultural sector, is also the location of many marihuana grow oper- ations, he said, and Goder- ich has "pretty much a mix of everything" though a higher rate of cocaine than the rest of the county. Southern Huron, he said, has a higher rate of heroin pills, such as Fentanyl. However, Miller told the audience that though they are the police they don't just deal in warrants and arrests, but that they understand drugs as a health issue and take in information about people who are possible users to ensure their safety. "We don't got out there everyday looking for how many people we can arrest today," Miller said. "We understand addiction is an issue and just because we arrest somebody doesn't mean it's going to fix that" Greer added that they want to get those in need the help they need. Terres Donnelly, the Huron County Crown Attorney who organized the event with the youth justice committee, said the reason for the forum was to arm parents, service providers and members of the public with information to keep the community safe and healthy. "We want safe families. We want healthy families and safe communities," she told Postmedia. She added that the turn- out was fantastic and showed the commitment of the community to achieving this goal. "It's fantastic," she said. "Seventy people who came on a night when they proba- bly have something else on because they are invested in their community and their family as well and we are all working to a common goal. It's fantastic." 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