Pubdate: Thu, 20 Oct 2005
Source: Abbotsford News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Hacker Press Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.abbynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1155
Author: John Les
Note: John Les is the MLA for Chilliwack/Sumas and the Solicitor General.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada)

B.C. CITIES BATTLING CRYSTAL METH

A public forum in Chilliwack this week underlined the importance of a 
co-ordinated, community-based attack on the growing menace of crystal meth.

More than 800 people turned out to hear a number of speakers, 
including a 30-year-old recovering meth addict, who challenged the 
audience and organizers to take action.

The forum was an important step in the fight against meth, an 
inspiration to other communities to take up the cause. The plain 
truth is that crystal meth kills. The statistics tell the story. Over 
the past four years, meth-related deaths in B.C. have increased 
tenfold, while the lives of countless other users have been 
permanently destroyed.

B.C. has been a leader in fighting the meth threat. We began looking 
for ways to combat the drug more than two years ago, and in 2004 we 
became the first jurisdiction in Canada to announce an integrated 
crystal meth strategy.

Recently, Premier Gordon Campbell announced the next step in the 
fight against meth - a $7 million investment in targeted programs and 
resources. It's a significant amount of money that will help educate 
our children about the horrors of meth addiction and help develop 
community-based solutions to contain, control and treat it.

This new funding will help us fight meth addiction on three fronts. 
First, we're putting over $2 million into enhancing treatment 
programs, to ensure professional care is available for meth-addicted 
youth. Second, we will provide $2 million in grant money to 
communities so that every community across the province can implement 
anti-meth programs at the local level.

Finally, we're launching a targeted education campaign, to get the 
facts about meth use and addiction out to youth and their families. 
We believe that if young people learn the truth about meth, many of 
them will make the smart choice and avoid crystal meth completely. 
Education is key to prevention of meth addiction - a single 
experiment with this drug can be fatal.

Our new crystal meth initiatives will operate cross-government, and 
will be co-ordinated by a crystal meth secretariat in my ministry.

These latest measures build on work already in progress. Last year, 
we announced an integrated strategy to control access to the 
chemicals used in making meth, to pressure the federal government to 
increase criminal penalties for making and selling the drug, and to 
support police in their fight against the organized gangs that often 
control production and sale of crystal meth.

In response to this pressure, Ottawa recently announced it was 
bringing in tougher penalties for individuals convicted of producing 
and trafficking meth. The province supports these initiatives but 
will continue to advocate for more effective control of the precursor 
chemicals moving through our ports.

I'm proud of the fact that BC is leading the country in the fight 
against meth, but we can't afford to stop now. This government will 
continue to look for ways to strengthen our approach, and to work 
with communities and parents to stop the spread of meth. Young people 
in B.C. are depending on us.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman