Selling items like pipes, bongs and grinders is going to be more difficult in Leduc, if a new bylaw has its desired affect. On June 23, city council passed Bylaw 861-2014, which amended Leduc's business licensing regulations to restrict selling drug-related merchandise and paraphernalia. "Council has always had the viewpoint that this type of product and business is not welcome in the city," said City of Leduc director of planning and development Ken Woitt. "While it's very difficult to regulate, certainly they wish to do everything in their power to encourage these businesses to do business elsewhere." [continues 489 words]
On Jan. 5, the Samson Cree First Nation voted in favour of evicting trouble makers out of their community. The residency bylaw will allow reserve members to evict residents who present a danger to the community. Under the bylaw, any 25 residents could apply to have another resident evicted. This is a step toward a solution and a visible public statement. Gangs, lack of education, substance abuse - these problems are pre-existent in these First Nations communities. The problems didn't just happen over night, they happened over time. As the inner city kids in Chicago have problems stemming from race, drugs and crime, the Samson Cree First Nation has its own share of problems. With 14,000 residents - half under the age of 18 - and 13 known operating gangs, the solution is to push the trouble makers out and create a culture within the community that focuses on education, prevention and inclusion. [continues 316 words]
LEDUC - The tie Leduc addiction counsellor Gene LeBlanc makes between the consequences of legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, when compared to the illegal drug marijuana, has been a contentious issue lately for scientists and lawmakers. According to the article 'Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse', published in 2007 by the respected British medical journal The Lancet, marijuana was ranked as causing less harm and being less addictive then both tobacco and alcohol. As in Canada, marijuana use in Britain is illegal, while tobacco and alcohol use is legal. The report noted the contradiction of having the more harmful substances tobacco and alcohol legal while less harmful substances are illegal, with laws seemingly based only on which substances are more widely socially accepted. [continues 802 words]
Leduc addiction counsellor Gene LeBlanc, who sees hundreds of addicts every year, is on the side of what an Angus Reid poll pegged as a slim majority of Canadians who favour the legalization of the drug marijuana. LeBlanc is against marijuana prohibition, and doesn't think the current drug laws appear very rational, with drugs such as alcohol and tobacco on one side and marijuana on the other side. An Angus Reid poll in 2010 found that 53 per cent of Canadians support the counsellor's position that legalization is the way to go. [continues 1112 words]
The UN released a drug report in 2007 stating a startling fact; 16.8 per cent of Canadians aged 15 to 64 smoked marijuana or used another cannabis product in 2006. Canada ranks fifth in the world behind Ghana, Zambia, Papua New Guinea and Micronesia. Remarkably, the world average is 3.8 per cent. When it comes to the legalization of marijuana, the debate can get heated. Those opposed to the legalization state it could lead to more criminal actiivty and it could lead to the use of other drugs -- marijuana is ofen called a gateway drug. Many believe marijuana is just as bad or worse than smoking tobacco, as it can lead to problems with memory, increased heart rate and an increased risk of lung infections and the impairment of the immune system, just to name a few. [continues 259 words]
Editor, I am profoundly saddened and disappointed in our political representation calling for the criminalization of another drug, this time Salvia. We are not winning the war on drugs nor will we ever win that war. The drug merchants make astounding profits, have no rules and a ready and willing market. It would appear that our government has learned nothing from previous grievous errors, namely prohibition. This was a long term unmitigated disaster that turned the ordinary person on the street, who wanted to go home after work and have a drink and relax, into a common criminal and people with grade two educations and a gun into millionaires at the helm of booze smuggling empires. [continues 369 words]
Editor, There has never been a more misunderstood culture as the one we are faced with in this never-ending war against harmful drugs. We are all concerned about our youth purchasing and consuming hallucinogenic substances. Rather than continue to seek a legal recourse every time some new substance makes the headlines, it would be so much better to focus on public education! One thing you can count on is the availability of information on which to make educated decisions. A recent article outlines concerns raised by the Leduc Community Drug Action Committee regarding the sale of salvia and Happy Shaman Herbs in our community. As members of this community, we felt it prudent to share information with you regarding these products. Be assured, our intent is to educate, not to create further controversy. [continues 339 words]
How can a community take away the market for drugs? The question introduces another: why do people use illegal drugs or misuse prescription drugs? Younger people often use drugs in an attempt to find acceptance with peers. As one said, "It's all about belonging." At some level, everyone wants to belong, be accepted, be needed. Although maturity ought to reduce anxiety about fitting in, and increase desire to serve others, older people also want a place to belong. Adults who turn to drugs may do so to temporarily quiet the nagging thoughts that say they do not matter. Even a bold face and a loud mouth may hide a frightened, lonely soul. [continues 384 words]
Community groups have to work together to find solutions for complex problems like unemployment, drug addiction and homelessness - that was the consensus at a workshop hosted by City of Leduc Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) Oct. 15. About 20 people representing a handful of local support agencies, including the Leduc Foundation, Leduc Alliance Church, Peace Lutheran Church and the LINX Connect Centre, attended the workshop by the Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement to hear tips for moving forward on complicated issues. [continues 548 words]
Although Methamphetamine was not listed as one of the top drug choices in Leduc during the Leduc Community Drug Action Committee (LCDAC) Cristal Bole took some time to talk about the drug. She reminded the audience that although there are several recipes online to make the drug many times people who are high at the time are the ones who wrote it. She also said that often those recipes have spelling mistakes or incorrect math that could make cooking the drug even more risky. Meth is a popular drug because a meth lab can be created almost anywhere including a car trunk, residence, backyard or garage. [continues 126 words]
Every community experiences times where drugs become a large problem, and a Leduc organization is doing everything they can to stop it from happening here. On Oct. 1, Cristal Bole of the Leduc Community Drug Action Committee (LCDAC) presented an information session about illicit drugs. She started off the evening explaining to the audience that the purpose of the presentation and LCDAC is not to tell youth not to do drugs, but to educate them so they at least know what they could be getting themselves into. [continues 353 words]
Anti-gang legislation that would see gang members who commit murder be automatically charged with first-degree murder would effect places like Hobbema, says Blaine Calkins. The Wetaskiwin MP was responding to the proposed legislation, which was tabled by the Federal Conservative government Feb. 26. "The soft on crime approach has not worked. We have seen a proliferation of gangs, not only in Hobbema because this hasn't always been in Hobbema. This is something that has taken time to creep in and it has crept into Calgary and the streets of Vancouver and Toronto." [continues 351 words]
It's hard to believe that your child could be using alcohol or other drugs. Many teens experiment with drugs, and you need to know how to recognize the signs that they may be experiencing problems. What are the signs? Remember, you know your kids. You do not need to be an expert to detect drug use. Trust yourself to know when there is a problem. When they were babies you could tell when they were sick because they weren't acting themselves. In the same way, you will notice when your teen's behaviour changes and such changes could be the sign of drug use. Keep in mind that these changes could be due to other reasons and there isn't a single sign that only points to drug use. [continues 357 words]
If you're like most people, you've heard a lot about drugs. If you're like most parents, you're concerned about the dangers they could present for your kids, but you're not completely sure what those dangers are. Here is a brief look at some drugs that you may know of or have heard of in the media. Legal drugs are the most commonly used and abused drugs are the legal drugs, which most people don't even think of as drugs. More deaths, illnesses and injuries are caused by alcohol and tobacco than by all of the other legal and illegal drugs combined. [continues 373 words]
This July, Alberta's highways will be safer because drivers who have driven while under the influence will be forced to buckle down. As of July 1, Alberta drivers who are convicted of having twice the legal limit or higher of alcohol will have to attach alcohol sensors to their vehicles. The sensors prevent a car from starting until the driver blows into it. If a certain amount of alcohol is detected, the vehicle will not start. After a six-month period, a review is conducted to determine whether or not the device should be removed. [continues 367 words]
Drugs can have a resounding negative impact on people's lives. Luckily, for some local area students, they've learned about the effects early on. Caledonia Park elementary school's sixth grade class graduated from the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program June 12. The ceremony focused on preventing drugs from entering the kids' lives. "D.A.R.E. is important because it teaches kids life lessons," Grade 6 teacher Lexi Golinsky said. "They're always going to be faced with difficult decisions with drugs and alcohol." [continues 341 words]
Police Chief Updates Council Insp. Dario Cecchin informed council Jan. 28 that the amount of drugs, in terms of dollar value, the Leduc RCMP has seen within the last year has gone down, the amount off stolen goods on the rise. "Drug traffickers are fearing to deal in the City of Leduc," he said. Insp. Cecchin said they have uncovered a greater amount of stolen property than they have in previous years. "It's all intertwined at the end of the day." [continues 180 words]
A review of AADAC services provided under the new legislation to protect youth abusing drugs shows that more than 600 families have benefited from the drug treatment program. The report found that almost half of the youth served under the Protection of Children Abusing Drug Act (PChAD) continued on to voluntary treatment after being discharged. As well, more than half of the youth in the program reported an improvement in their quality of life one month after discharge, notably in the areas family relationships and physical health. [continues 250 words]
A new community initiative launched by the Leduc Community Drug Action Committee (LCDAC) is encouraging businesses, organizations and individuals to help them raise awareness on local drug issues. The LCDAC Window Sticker campaign, which officially went underway at the June Leduc and District Chamber luncheon, is a program where individuals display the stickers predominately in their windows symbolizing their commitment to a, "zero tolerance of the growing drug problem within our community." "They're a good visual tool," said Shawna Bissell, the LCDAC facilitator. "We're trying to create awareness within the community about the committee and the issues in the area." [continues 161 words]
This upcoming week is marked in Canada as Crime Prevention Week, to recognize the work and efforts made by law enforcement officials. This upcoming week is marked in Canada as Crime Prevention Week, to recognize the work and efforts made by law enforcement officials. More times than not, we don't give police a second thought until we get a speeding ticket or are caught not wearing our seatbelts, which usually sparks a certain level of distaste, and unfortunately, disrespectful thoughts toward our enforcement providers. But in reality, there are more aspects to their positions of power than we realize. [continues 421 words]
