As the federal government begins the process of moving towards legalizing marijuana, East Kootenay Addiction Services Society will be presenting a number of articles to generate discussion about marijuana and what changes to marijuana laws could mean. This article will look at some of the common beliefs about marijuana and separate the myths from the facts. Marijuana is the most popular illicit drug used worldwide. Because of its popularity, and in part because of the push to change the legal status of marijuana in Western countries, there are many statements made about marijuana in the media and on the internet that sound factual but may not be accurate. [continues 772 words]
In the past few months there have been an unusual number of Ecstasy related deaths in B.C. and Alberta. Ecstasy has been a popular drug of choice for adolescents and young adults for over 10 years. The East Kootenay Adolescent Drug Use Surveys have shown that Ecstasy is the only substance to have a steady increase in use in the East Kootenay from 2005 to 2011, going from 4.7% of youth reporting lifetime use in 2005 to 8.7% in 2011. 16% of Grade 12 students in the East Kootenay have used Ecstasy at least once. [continues 384 words]
This year in grade 5, I really enjoyed D.A.R.E. I learned that tobacco has 200 known poisons, tar, causes cancer, breathing problems and death. Tobacco smoke kills forty-five thousand people each year in Canada. It can cause yellow fingertips and teeth. Marijuana has 400 chemicals and is illegal in Canada. It causes slow relaxes and coordination loss. This year, I learned how many advertisements there are in store windows, magazines and on billboards. Alcohol is bad for kids because it can cause memory loss, poor judgment and slurred speech. Alcohol can make you die and if you drink too much you may need a liver transplant. [continues 230 words]
Not only are addictions no fun, they're downright nightmares! My challenge in this article for East Kootenay Drug Awareness Week is to give a brief overview of how someone becomes addicted, and some warning signs to look for. A drug is a drug. No matter if it's Pot, Alcohol, Nicotine, Crack, Painkillers, Tranquilizers, Heroin, or anything mood altering. Using a substance over and over again creates a habit which will eventually lead to harmful consequences. Nobody sets out to be addicted. With anything humans repeatedly do (binging a couple of times a month, or having a glass of wine when feeling stressed) these regular patterns get set in our internal computers, our body cells, our brains, and our internal time clocks. [continues 295 words]
Over the last few years, Cranbrook RCMP have taken a new approach to drug and alcohol prevention. The Community Prevention Education Continuum helps young people make healthy choices throughout their schooling. The federal RCMP Drug and Organized Crime Awareness Service has taken notice and wants to expand the program to other communities. Corporal Al Nutini who coordinates CPEC in Cranbrook says community mobilization is the key to the success of the program. He feels in Cranbrook it is truly the community that raises the children. CPEC is taking already established initiatives, such as the RCMP-run DARE program and enhancing them by partnering with other community organizations. [continues 342 words]
The RCMP in Cranbrook is alerting people about what they believe is a new method of disguising and trafficking drugs. While searching a local residence earlier this year, police located a bag of candy that seemed out of the ordinary and suspicious. They decided to investigate further and sent the gummi bears to the drug lab for analysis. When they received the results, if confirmed their suspicion. The lab results showed the gummi bears were laced with the drug LSD, also known as Acid. [continues 293 words]
This year millions of school children around the world will benefit from D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence. D.A.R.E was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and has proven so successful that it is now being implemented in 75 percent of our nation's school districts and in more than 43 countries around the world. D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through Grade 12 how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. [continues 232 words]
There's one area of B.C. business investment that's seen a boom in rural areas. Unfortunately, it's organized crime. You may have heard the saga of Likely, a tiny community east of Williams Lake. Last fall RCMP confirmed results of a two-year investigation that found eight properties with buildings fitted for large-scale marijuana growing. At least one of those has been seized under civil forfeiture legislation, a powerful new tool in targeting proceeds of crime. Nine Lower Mainland residents, all with Asian names, were charged. [continues 776 words]
The ANKORS Society recently made a presentation to Cranbrook City Council regarding the success of a needle exchange program in the West Kootenay that they would like to implement at their office. The needle exchange program focuses on the theme of harm reduction, a set of non-judgemental approaches aimed at providing services and support for people to be safer and healthier. Presenting to council were Executive Director Gary Dalton and Board Member Deb Summers, both of which took turns advocating for the need to implement such a program. They both stress that although harm reduction emphasizes a change for safer practices, it still has the long term goal of abstinence in drug use. [continues 368 words]
I am continually reminded by parents and teachers in Kootenay Columbia of the importance of protecting our children from the use of illegal drugs. Drugs are dangerous and destructive, this is why this Government is committed to ensuring that those people who are addicted to illicit drugs get the help they need. Our Government's strategy to fight illicit drug use in Canada provides a balanced approach that is both tough on crime and compassionate to those addicted to illicit drugs. We are committed to working with our provincial and territorial partners to improve access to quality services and effective approaches to treating individuals who pose a risk to themselves, their families and their communities. [continues 296 words]
Constituents have recently approached me about the issue of street drugs, right here in the Kootenays. Kootenay Columbia families, like all Canadian families, deserve to feel safe, to know that criminals will be held accountable for their actions. They want to be sure that we are doing everything we can do to protect our children from the vicious cycle of drugs and crime. Too many families know the pain and hardship of having a loved one fall victim to a drug addiction. Unfortunately, too many of our neighborhoods and communities are being endangered by violence that is fueled by drugs. [continues 222 words]
The Interior town of Williams Lake has done a good job of highlighting the problem of "prolific offenders" in recent weeks. Instead of playing down its distinction as BC's crime capital as previous honourees Surrey, New Westminster and North Vancouver have done before, Williams Lake Mayor Scott Nelson has used police statistics to tackle the problem head-on. He's put the message out forcefully that the numbers are driven by a handful of hardcore repeat offenders who, especially in a small town, can generate a crime wave all by themselves. But the same story could be told in communities around the province, and it's usually a story about what people will do to get drugs. [continues 809 words]
The "honour system" has finally been abandoned on the Greater Vancouver buses. The establishment of "fare paid zones" beyond the driver's seat and at least the theoretical appearance of someone to check tickets is an effort to stem the problem of people refusing to pay and assaulting drivers who remind them the ride isn't quite free. It seems that once a city reaches a certain size, it doesn't have enough honour left for honour systems. Surveys indicated that Ottawa doesn't yet have bus anarchy, but Toronto does. [continues 708 words]
Since making a major drug bust as a result of an undercover operation last year, Cranbrook RCMP has been keeping an eye on the problem of drug trafficking in the city. Over the last months several suspects have been arrested and charged. The latest arrests were made earlier this month when several people were apprehended for possession of cocaine and marihuana with the purpose of trafficking. The total number of investigations into possession of cocaine with the purpose of trafficking was 44 cases for 2006. While the number of investigations was only slightly lower in 2005 with 41 cases, Corporal Chris Faulkner with the Cranbrook RCMP explains the rate of cases solved by filing charges rose drastically from 21 percent of cases solved in 2005 to 57 percent solved in 2006. [continues 267 words]
METH - with increased awareness over the last few months meth has become a buzz word, stirring up emotions and triggering debate. This is just what Bonnie Eugene hopes to achieve with an event that bears the word as its title. She is the Aqam (St. Mary Band) Community Governance Facilitator and she is working with ANKORS and other community groups in Cranbrook to present the workshop. "We really want to talk about addictions and where they come from," Eugene explains the goal of the event. It is centered around an interactive performance by Headlines Theatre about addiction. The group shows their play once and then repeats it, however, they are giving the audience the opportunity to do an intervention at any point. Anybody can change the outcomes of the performer's actions or even put themselves in the character's spots to change the situation, Eugene explains. Gary Dalton, Education Coordinator with ANKORS says: "This gives the community an opportunity to add their story." [continues 243 words]
Dear Editor, I am often asked to comment on the dangers of Crystal Meth. Today there is a great deal of fear about this chemical drug. Is the fear warranted? If you consider the damage it can do to a community ... YES! Crystal Meth (Ice, Crank, Crystal) can destroy a community. If it takes hold, it would be very difficult to get back. That said, has Crystal Meth taken over our community - not to date. I always want to ask people what are we going to do about it? Crystal Meth is a horrible drug. It is incredibly powerful for those who choose to use it. So, how can we stop experimentation, or in other words, choices to use. I believe the answer involves the community, connection and education. [continues 308 words]
We are creatures of habit, at times guilty of silly little things we feel compelled to do each and every day to feel safe, secure and comforted. Those idiosyncrasies, like the need to take the same route to work, follow the same bedtime ritual, or make endless lists very often define who we are. What may be surprising is the compulsion we have to act in a certain way on a daily basis bears similarity to the trait seen in serious physical or psychological addictions to nicotine, alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, and a variety of other obsessions. [continues 232 words]
Although we tend to think about young people when we talk about drugs, the problem of drug addiction is not limited to adolescents. Drug use affects every area of our society. The workplace is no exception. The consequences of drug dependency, as is the case with alcohol, are significant for both the individual and society. For instance, we know that workers with an addiction problem are 3 times more likely to be late for work, 2.5 times more likely to be repeatedly absent and 3.6 times more likely to be involved in an accident. The result is a reduced level of productivity and competitiveness for the company, coupled with an increase in insurance and compensation costs. Obviously, the workers concerned also have much to lose given their situation, including their job and the trust of their loved ones. [continues 99 words]
The thing these drugs have in common is no one wants to see kids using any of them. Are they here in Cranbrook and the East Kootenay? Yes. Are kids using them? Yes. Is it an epidemic? No. These drugs show up occasionally and some stick around for a while and some kids do use them. We have to continue our education around smart choices and the real facts about these drugs, and hope for the most part our youth keep as aware about these drugs as they have been. Overall use of marihuana with our youth is declining as shown by the recent EKAS regional adolescent drug use survey so we have to be optimistic with the efforts all the community partners have put into prevention efforts. Alcohol remains high on the list of youth choice of substance and I believe we are at least keeping up with our prevention and education efforts regarding it. Paul Komer EK Addiction Services [end]
They are increasingly available, these little pills that flow freely from labs, offering an extreme sense of wellbeing to young people looking for intense stimulation. The growing popularity of "raves" contributed in no small way to the expanding market for this drug, little known ten years ago, but now a regular topic of news reports. The increase of ecstasy consumption is certainly not a cause for celebration. This extremely dangerous hallucinogen creates an illusion of wellbeing and confidence, which belies the extreme, even irreversible, mental and physical health risks it entails. Depression, paranoia, memory loss, suicidal thoughts, brain damage, coma, cardiovascular damage, pulmonary lesions, internal hemorrhaging and convulsions are only a few of the possible consequences of repeated use. And that's not including the undesirable secondary effects, such as nausea, overheating and blurry vision, which can result from even a single dose. The exact nature of these risks can never be accurately calculated, because there is no quality control exercised in the production of ecstasy. [continues 53 words]
