Pubdate: Fri, 30 Jun 2000
Source: Nunatsiaq News (Canada)
Copyright: 2000 Nortext Publishing Corporation
Contact:  Box 8, Iqaluit, NT XOA OHO Canada
Fax: (867) 979-4763
Website: http://www.nunatsiaq.com/
Forum: http://www.nunanet.com/politics/index.html
Author: Sean McKibbon

BIOLOGIST CAUGHT USING DRUGS RETURNS TO GN JOB

IQALUIT - A government polar bear biologist who was stripped of an
experimental studies certificate for injecting himself with polar bear
tranquilizer has returned to his job with the government of Nunavut.

Several sources have told Nunatsiaq News that Peter Krizan, a polar
bear biologist with Nunavut's Department of Sustainable Development,
was doing field research with fellow biologist Steven Atkinson when
Krizan injected himself with Zoletil, a veterinary drug that is
essentially a mixture of PCP (know as Angel Dust on the street) and
valium.

According to sources, Atkinson found Krizan collapsed one night during
the field trip. Krizan had to be medivaced out of the area to be
treated for a drug overdose.

Unlike pharmaceuticals for humans, the same strict controls are not
maintained on veterinary drugs. One government source said the use of
such drugs by researchers is based on an honour system.

No laws broken

According to Sgt. Mike O'Malley of the Iqaluit RCMP, the matter is no
longer being investigated by the police and is being handled
internally by the Department of Sustainable Development.

Since Zoletil is not listed on the federal government schedule of
controlled drugs and substances, no laws were broken.

But regulations on the safe handling of such substances were broken.
Acting on a tip from a government of  Nunavut employee, Benjamin Lobo,
a drug evaluator for Health Canada, asked police to investigate
theincident.

After gathering information, Lobo removed Krizan's
certificate.

Katherine Trumper, Nunavut's deputy minister of Sustainable
Development, did not want to comment onthe incident, but she did
confirm that Krizan's certificate had been taken away.

"Yes, that's true," she said.

Krizan has since returned to work.

Meanwhile, Krizan's supervisor, Mitchell Taylor, has returned to work
after a hearing in which an arbitrator decided that Taylor had been
wrongfully dismissed.

Taylor had been dismissed from his job following complaints from
Krizan.

Secret meetings

Three weeks ago, the Nunavut government held secret arbitration
meetings with Taylor over the manner in which he had been re-instated
and on another outstanding grievance that Taylor had filed concerning
the payment of overtime hours worked while doing field research.

While Taylor and a Nunavut Employee's Union officer had no problem
with Nunatsiaq News attending the arbitration meetings, lawyers for
the Nunavut and Northwest Territories governments asked the
arbitratorto kick the press out - a request that was granted.

A written version of the outcome of the arbitration meetings is
expected within the next few weeks.
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