Last week, the Stratford Police Drug/Intelligence Unit completed a five-month drug trafficking investigation resulting in the arrest of 12 Stratford and area residents on a number of drug trafficking and weapons-related offences. Project "Cranked" was designed to target traffickers of crystal methamphetamine and other controlled substances within the City of Stratford and Perth County. The project was funded by the enforcement initiative of The Perth County Methamphetamine Task Force using a portion of a million dollar grant received in 2007. [continues 292 words]
Stratford Action for Equality wants to see city council step up its fight against poverty and drugs in Stratford. In a presentation to council on Monday night, Julian Ichim said in the year he's lived in Stratford, he's met plenty of people in need. "The reality of the situation is there are economic problems in Stratford," said Ichim, noting he's investigated meth houses, spoken to industrial workers who have lost their jobs and others who work in the hospitality industry who struggle to make ends meet. [continues 322 words]
Re Street drug use is risky, Column, Nov. 10 In times when drug hysteria seems to be the prevailing fear gripping the nation, it is refreshing to encounter a rational approach to the issue. Thank you Stratford City Gazette and thank you Jackie Parkin. This column offers sound advice correctly, that is, without the condescension and moralization that "Just Say No" approaches embrace. That is a good thing. Moreover, it is an appropriate thing. The writer respects the boundaries of the individual, a concept considerably more significant to someone coming of age in a time when the average adolescent face challenges more daunting and complex then previous generations can appreciate. Street drug use is risky voices realtime issues then addresses those concerns with effective street-smart advice without the usual admonishments. The article is significant because it educates while it empowers. Wayne Phillips, Speakers Bureau Coordinator: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Hamilton [end]
Re Street drug use is risky, Column, Nov. 10 Anyone who buys drugs from the street deserves what they get. You wouldn't buy food off of some creepy hobo, so why would you buy home-made chemicals from them? But when one considers that junk food will kill many times more Canadians than all illegal drugs combined, it is difficult to think of them as the plague that they have been hyped into. The thing that makes street drugs risky is prohibition. In a climate of regulation, drugs like meth would be no more dangerous than alcohol. In the 1800s (a period of time that social conservatives like to point to as "the good old days"), heroin, cocaine, and a wide assortment of drugs were available to anyone. [continues 126 words]
This Is Meth Everyone has a different way of seeing the world. We all make choices based on our perceptions. Many people even have different thoughts about drug use and the safety of using drugs. Some young people report that they believe the drug they are taking is pure, safe, or of a better quality than other drugs. This is a potentially dangerous belief. When using street drugs, there is always the risk of impurities and unknown dosage levels. The purity of drugs bought on the street varies from place to place and day to day. This makes it almost impossible to know exactly what a drug may contain. [continues 116 words]
Re Knowing Meth Is Dangerous Doesn't Make Other Drugs OK, Letter, Aug. 25 When one considers that junk food will kill many times more Canadians than all illegal drugs combined, meth hardly seems like the epidemic and scourge that the police and government hype make it out to be. We live in a "drug culture" that advertises booze, fast cars, fast food, violent movies and video games, and drugs of all kinds on TV! Then we tell kids, "Say no to drugs." [continues 76 words]
Re How do you know if someone is using meth? Letter, Aug. 25 How should Stratford respond to illegal methamphetamine use? Here in the United States, New York City chose the zero-tolerance approach during the crack epidemic of the eighties, opting to arrest and prosecute as many offenders as possible. Meanwhile, Washington, DC Mayor Marion Barry was smoking crack and America's capitol had the highest per capita murder rate in the country. Yet, crack use declined in both cities simultaneously. [continues 113 words]
More Teens Using Other Drugs Lately When you think about Perth County and drugs, what comes to your mind? Meth! Right or wrong we are known by some people as "the meth capital." What effect has this had on young people? Has it changed the way you do things? A frightening trend that we at Choices for Change have seen over the past year has been more youth using chemical drugs than ever before. We believe that this is a spin-off of the very valid media information about meth being so dangerous. The result of this information for some youth is to play down how dangerous other drugs are, even if they might previously have considered them dangerous. We are seeing more youth using dangerous drugs like ecstasy, cocaine, large amounts of caffeine, hallucinogens as well as cannabis and alcohol. [continues 140 words]
Task Force Working On Problem Many people are aware that methamphetamine use is a concern in our community. But do you know how to identify someone who is using, what to look for, or expect in terms of behaviour? It is important to remember that not everyone will have the same experiences. Just because someone is experiencing some of the symptoms listed below, it doesn't necessarily mean they are using methamphetamine. Street names for methamphetamine are speed, ice, crystal, crystal meth or just meth. It can be smoked, snorted or injected. [continues 308 words]
Stratford's police drug-enforcement unit drug bust of Jan. 30 was good news in the battle against ever-increasing crime and vandalism in Perth County. Police Chief Jerry McEwin and his force are to be congratulated. A quick but incomplete glance through the local papers revealed a few incidents which helps describe the magnitude of the problem facing our community. On Dec. 2, 2005, Perth OPP stopped a car driving 116 km/h in an 80-km/h zone. In the trunk were found cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy pills, hash oil, cash and a handgun. [continues 367 words]
For most, walking into a home and discovering a methamphetamine lab filled with explosive, toxic chemicals is a terrifying thought. That's the reality for Stratford Police Service officers and, according to Sgt. Mike Bellai of the drug unit, just part of the job. "We've received training on clandestine labs, what to do, what not to do, and we've been provided the equipment here," said Bellai, in an interview this week. But does the very real risks of the situation go through an officer's mind? Absolutely. [continues 905 words]
This was written by a young girl who was in jail for drug charges, and was addicted to crystal meth. She wrote this while in jail. She fully grasped the horrors of the drug, as she tells in this simple, yet profound poem. She was released from jail but true to her story, the drug owned her. They found her dead not long after, with the needle still in her arm. Please keep praying. This thing is worse than any of us realize... [continues 573 words]
Two New Officers Will Tackle Drugs, Youth Crime City council has approved the hiring of two police officers under a provincial officer partnership program. The two officers will tackle the issues of youth and organized crime, marijuana grow-ops and methamphetamine labs. As part of the program, the province will fund up to 50 per cent of salary, benefits and overtime for the new officers, up to $35,000 per officer, per year. The youth officer is already in place, having started patrolling local high schools earlier this month. The other officer will work in drug enforcement, a department that police Chief Gerry McEwin said has its resources stretched thin. [continues 186 words]
City council has thrown their support behind two programs aiming to curb local production of methamphetamine. At Monday night's meeting, council passed two resolutions endorsing MethWatch and the RCMP's ChemWatch program. The decision came after presentations on both programs. Donnie Edwards, vice-president of the Ontario Pharmacists Association and Gerry Harrington, director of public and professional affairs for NDMAC - an association representing the self-care health product industry - outlined the benefits of the MethWatch program. MethWatch, which was launched over the last few weeks in Perth County, teaches pharmacists and staff to spot suspicious purchases of medicines contained pseudoephedrine, a chemical used in the production of meth. [continues 216 words]
A program aimed at monitoring the purchase of cold medicines used in the production of methamphetamine has been launched in Perth County. Local stores have signed onto MethWatch, a program which trains pharmacy staff to spot unusually large purchases of medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Repeat customers, or those purchasing the products in bulk, will be reported to local law enforcement officials or to the RCMP, through a special 1-800 tip hotline. Originally launched in Kansas, the program is used across the United States and more recently in British Columbia. [continues 494 words]
Government Appoints Provincial Working Group Perth-Middlesex MPP John Wilkinson announced earlier this week the Ontario government has named Jerry McEwin, chief of the Stratford Police Service, Richard Young, acting chief of the Stratford Fire Service and Dr. Rosana Pellizzari, medical officer of health, Perth District Health Unit to its new provincial crystal meth working group. "I am extremely pleased that these three outstanding people from my riding have been asked to serve on the provincial working group," said Wilkinson, in a press release. [continues 515 words]
(PERTH) - The Ontario government has named three civic leaders in Stratford to the new provincial Crystal Meth Working Group. Perth-Middlesex MPP John Wilkinson announced the appointments of Jerry McEwin, chief of the Stratford Police Service; Richard Young, acting chief of the Stratford Fire Service; and Dr. Rosana Pellizzari, Medical Officer of Health with the Perth District Health Unit. "I am extremely pleased that these three outstanding people from my riding have been asked to serve on the provincial working group," Wilkinson said in a news release. "I am heartened that the provincial government is fully engaged in finding a solution to the scourge of crystal meth." [continues 254 words]
Perth-Middlesex MPP John Wilkinson says a new provincial methamphetamine task force will seek input from local players. In an interview last week, Wilkinson told The Gazette local voices will be an important part of the process. "I have been asked to give input as to local stakeholders here at the epicentre of this problem," he said. "Mayor Dan Mathieson has agreed to make a presentation to the initial meeting of the task force to give them a brief as to what the problem is in Perth County and some of the solutions." [continues 297 words]
At Monday night's council meeting, Mayor Dan Mathieson announced he had recently met with mayors from across the county and local police to discuss crystal methamphetamine issues in the area. The fact the highly addictive drug is being produced and consumed in Perth is nothing new to residents. For the last three years we've been reading about meth-lab discoveries, explosions and most recently, police stings taking down dealers. We applaud the fact our mayors are ready to discuss the affects of the local drug trade on the county, but are disturbed it took a story in The Toronto Star to kickstart the process. After all, methamphetamine problems in Perth have been covered extensively by local media over the last few years. [continues 157 words]
A quality of life report issued in March by the Perth County social planning council steering committee found drug-related offences in Stratford are higher than both provincial and national rates. As well, data shows area residents are "significantly" less educated than others in the province and the county has higher drinking rates than the rest of the province, though smoking rates are average. Other findings include: - - All municipalities, except North Perth, have higher rates of impaired driving charges than the provincial average. [continues 120 words]
