YELLOWKNIFE - Education on crystal meth and crack cocaine should be available to more than just social workers, speakers told a drug symposium last week in Yellowknife.

The symposium was for frontline workers, but Diane Hrstic with the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre said that the broader community needs to be educated as well.

Some people who have shown interest in further education include taxi companies and security guards. That includes more seminars and awareness pamphlets targeting local businesses to better help them understand the drug addictions they might encounter on the street.

"(We want to) try to raise an awareness before it becomes a big problem in our community," said Corlissa McCloskey, who works for the Stanton Hospital Mental Health Authority. Rod MacDonald was one of the presenters at the symposium. He has worked across Canada with central nervous system stimulants, specifically crack cocaine and crystal meth.

"I think some of the challenges are first to get the information out," MacDonald said.

The RCMP presented their own findings on the most commonly abused drugs in the NWT, which include: Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, LSD and Ecstasy.

One of the main differences between crystal meth and cocaine is the cost. Meth is only one- sixth the cost of cocaine, according to the RCMP. Both can be taken orally, smoked or injected and are physiologically addictive.

While cheaper crystal meth can provide a high from four to six hours, cocaine provides a high from 10 minutes to an hour and a half.