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Christy Becker-Irving, the nurse at Saskatoon’s Brief Detox Unit, said more patients who come to the facility are crystal meth users.

“There definitely has been an increase and we are finding it problematic,” she said.

Users are often paranoid and sometimes psychotic when they are admitted to the facility, making treatment that much harder.

Because the drug is so addictive, cheap and readily available, many users turn to crime to feed their habits, according to city police Sgt. Michael Horvath.

“It seems to be a common theme in a lot of our investigations. Not all of them, but a percentage for sure,” Horvath said.

Addicts often commit break and enters and trade the stolen goods for a fix, he said. Everything from bicycles to electronics can be used as currency to buy crystal meth from dealers.

Horvath said the cycle of addiction — especially with a powerful drug like crystal meth — often leaves people feeling they have no choice but to commit crimes.

“Once they get into it, it’s hard to get out.”

Rand Teed, an addictions consultant, said he too has seen an increase in the number of people enrolling in rehab because of crystal meth. Unlike cocaine or crack, meth is easily produced in Canada and as a result is much cheaper and easier to buy. The high from the drug also seems to last longer, with users often staying up for days on end.

“I think a lot of it is economics,” Teed said.

People shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that just because they don’t use meth they don’t have a substance abuse problem, he said, adding people who regularly abuse other drugs — even things like marijuana and alcohol — are also at risk.

“What we are looking at is a very rampant epidemic substance problem.”

Weighill said proper and increased addictions programs are the only way to get at the root of Saskatoon’s crime issue.

“I will certainly be lobbying — as I have in the past — for addictions centres, for programming for mediation services, ways we can bring people together and help them without getting them into the criminal justice system.”

cthamilton@postmedia.com