Pubdate: Sun, 14 May 2006
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 The Province
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Matthew Ramsey

MUNICIPALITIES CRACKING DOWN ON DRUG PARAPHERNALIA SALES

The bell is tolling for bongs in the Lower Mainland.

Langley City will soon require stores to submit drug-paraphernalia 
buyer information to police, while Surrey bylaw officers are 
recommending the city ban the sale of pipes, crack pipes and water 
bongs altogether.

Under Langley's soon-to-be-passed bylaw, the city will prohibit the 
sale of paraphernalia to anyone under the age of 19 and require the 
five local stores selling such products to record and report all 
purchases to the RCMP. New businesses will be banned from selling the 
products altogether.

Langley Township is looking at similar legislation.

When it comes time for existing stores to renew their business 
licences, Mayor Peter Fassbender promises they will "pay through the 
nose" if the paraphernalia is still on the shelves.

He acknowledged that paraphernalia is legal, but noted drugs are not.

"Drugs are illegal. We don't have to assist that [illegality] by 
having it right in [consumers'] faces," he said.

As for the privacy concerns about having one's personal information 
recorded and sent to police on the day of what is a legal sale, 
Fassbender said it would help police identify the chronic core of 
drug-addicted offenders who commit the majority of crimes in his 
community. Stores that don't submit the information will face fines 
of between $200 and $10,000.

John Shertsone, Surrey's manager of bylaws and licensing, says staff 
are forwarding a report to council that would recommend prohibiting all sales.

New Westminster has already enacted such a law.

Surrey's proposed bylaw would restrict sales to licensed pharmacies 
where people with medical needs could purchase syringes, he said.

Vancouver's bylaw requires pipes, bongs and the like be invisible 
from the street, not displayed in store windows and not sold to those 
19 or older.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman