A steady rise in the use of a popular party drug in Niagara has addiction officials on alert.
While heroin is still the most used illegal drug in the region, the use of crystal meth is increasing.
The man-made drug is a stimulant, fairly cheap, and highly addictive.
There is no legal use for it.
Crystal methamphetamine comes in clear crystal chunks or shiny blue-white rocks and is usually smoked with a small glass pipe, but can also be swallowed, snorted or injected into a vein.
People say they have a quick rush of euphoria shortly after using it, but it can cause severe psychological problems like psychosis.
Executive Director of Positive Living Niagara, Glen Walker tells CKTB's Shelby Knox the drug can cause extreme peaks in a person's heart rate, and is the opposite of an opioid overdose.
Walker says users should be very careful since crystal meth is very addictive.
He says it's easy to get and not too expensive, and once a user is hooked, it's very hard to stop.
He says residents can reach out to Positive Living if they want to use at their safe injection site in the Queenston Street area.