Two people were arrested Feb. 8 in Calgary after a covert operation uncovered ecstasy which tested positive for paramethoxymethamphetamine (PMMA), the chemical responsible for 14 deaths in Alberta and B.C. With eight of the deaths occurring in Calgary and one in Red Deer, other regions of the province have not yet showed any incidences related to this case. Despite this fact local authorities are warning residents of the dangers that come along with any drug. "The deaths in Calgary and British Columbia speak to the risks associated with that type of lifestyle," says Staff Sgt. Brain Jones of the Drayton Valley RCMP. "[Whether] you're a full-time user or a part time user, you're putting your life in someone else's hands by using that type of material. The more we learn about it, and how dangerous this one particular batch or type of ecstasy is, why would you put your life in somebody's hands when they have absolutely no regard for your safety and your concern?" [continues 455 words]
A man who broke into a home in Lodgepole and then led RCMP on a high-speed chase broke down in tears last week as he asked a provincial court judge for help to fight his drug addiction. "I'm not afraid of going to jail," said Jason Holtz. "Jail is more of a home to me than out here. But I need help. I want help. I've never asked for it before but I'm asking for it now. I'm done." [continues 407 words]
A man from Evansburg is suing the RCMP for seizing marijuana plants he says he was growing for medicinal purposes. Two years ago, Steve Chorney received a licence under the federal medical-marijuana program to grow a limited number of plants to manage chronic pain in his legs, which has prevented him from working since 1996. At about 10 a.m. on July 23, Chorney said three RCMP members arrived at his house in three separate vehicles, made a bee-line for the plants and started pulling them out of the ground. [continues 323 words]
One year after its inception, the Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act has been used by 395 families across the province. Enacted on July 1, 2006, the act empowers parents and legal guardians to apply to the courts to order their 12-to-17-year olds into treatment for severe addictions. While no families in the Drayton Valley area made use of the new legislation, AADAC area supervisor Dana Sharp-McLean said she has received six calls from concerned parents. Sharp-McLean said she explains to parents the act is meant only as a last resort and tells them what options are available locally. [continues 374 words]
Tuesday October 24, 2006 A collaborative survey was recently compiled and released to the public. The survey was taken by hundreds of students in Drayton Valley in an attempt by the Town of Drayton Valley to form a numerical statistic for three major concerns of the Town. Matthew Grant, youth project co-ordinator for the Town of Drayton Valley, said the survey was conceived through a desire to attain hard numbers, as opposed to anecdotal evidence on whether the Town's plans have actually been met with success. [continues 298 words]
It seems that every time we carry any kind of drug awareness article in the paper we receive a flood of letters to the editor from people keen to tell us that drugs aren't so bad at all. There seems to be a group of people who spend their lives combing the Internet looking for such stories as an opportunity to argue their case that marijuana should be legalized. That's fine. The letters page is a place for people to voice their opinions and as long as the letters are signed and refer specifically to a story in The Western Review we'll continue to run them. What's puzzling though is the degree of criticism a large number of these letter writers level at the police. [continues 128 words]
After close to a year of crisscrossing the province and meeting with community leaders, law enforcement, health care providers and drug users, the Premier's Task Force on Crystal Meth released its final report last week. The task force was chaired by Colleen Klein, the wife of Premier Ralph Klein, and Dr. Bob Westbury. Among the task force's 11 other members was Drayton Valley Mayor Diana McQueen. The report contains a total of 83 recommendations covering a wide range of issues, all targetted to fight the spread of the drug in Alberta. [continues 325 words]
Local Drayton Valley residents and RCMP were on hand at the curling club to hear an Edmonton RCMP Green Team officer share some first-hand knowledge of marijuana grow-ops. Const. Ian Gillan, a near 20-year veteran who has gone undercover for drug raids and even bought meth and crack-cocaine in Drayton Valley, taught how to spot the telltale signs of a grow-op and the effects they have on people and communities. "They are the economic engine of organized crime," Gillan said about grow-ops adding that, just the night before, they had busted four operations in Edmonton. [continues 400 words]
Drayton Valley Western Review -- Enhanced treatment programs, extensive education and more targeted policing when it comes to methamphetamine are all identified as top priorities as the Premier's Task Force on Crystal Meth prepares its final recommendations to be brought forward to the Province. Drayton Valley Mayor Diana McQueen sits on the 12-member task force headed by Colleen Klein and Dr. Bob Westbury and she expects that, after months of public consultations and discussion, the final report and recommendations will be presented to the premier next month. [continues 468 words]
With public consultation coming to a close the Premier's Task Force on Crystal Meth, which includes Drayton Valley Mayor Diana McQueen, is ready to move on to the next step in bringing forward recommendations to the province. The task force, created by Premier Ralph Klein in October of 2005 and co-chaired by his wife Colleen and Dr. Bob Westbury, has spent the last few months travelling the province gathering public input before coming up with a series of recommendations to develop a province-wide strategy to combat the impacts of crystal meth. [continues 317 words]
DRAYTON VALLEY -- Crystal meth drew a crowd to the town offices last week as the community cluster group from the Premier's Task Force on Crystal Meth made a stop in Drayton Valley to gather the thoughts of the community on how to tackle the issue. Around 45 community members representing sectors such as education, health, police, support services and industry gathered to hear how Drayton Valley combats its own meth problem as well as offer their own ideas and recommendations to be forwarded to the task force. [continues 480 words]
The premier's task force will be coming to Drayton Valley to talk about the drug problem. Or, more accurately, to talk about the town's success in combating the drug problem. Mayor Diana McQueen, co-chair of the task force's community consultation cluster, will be heading up the four community meetings as the only elected municipal official on the task force. There will be Dr. Robert Westbury, chair of the Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research and Colleen Klein as well as MLAs. [continues 257 words]
The ongoing fight against crystal meth in the province got another strong ally last week with the first meeting of the premier's task force on solutions to the crystal meth threat that features a local voice. Drayton Valley Mayor Diana McQueen said she was approached a few weeks ago and asked to be the representative for municipalities on the 12-person task force, being chaired by the premier's wife, Colleen Klein. The task force is bringing together a wide range of people with the goal of working toward addressing the problem of crystal meth in areas such as awareness, prevention, treatment and healing as well as looking at things such as legislation and enforcement. [continues 282 words]
Proposed federal and provincial legislation in the fight against drugs is welcome news to the Town of Drayton Valley and the local RCMP. Two provincial bills and one piece of federal legislation aimed at either controlling the sale of the chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine (crystal meth) or forcing drug-addicted children into treatment are seen as something positive by both Mayor Diana McQueen and Const. Daryl Scott of the Drayton Valley RCMP. One provincial bill is West Yellowhead MLA Ivan Strang's Bill 204, the Pharmacy and Drug (Methamphetamine Limiting) Amendment Act, which calls for strict controls on the sale of legal products used in the manufacture of crystal meth. The other is Red Deer MLA Mary Anne Jablonski's Bill 202, the Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act, which would allow parents to force drug-addicted children into treatment centres. [continues 416 words]
RCMP were kept busy in 2004 dealing with close to 6,000 complaints within the limits of Drayton Valley. The numbers reflect a slight increase over 2003. Altogether Drayton Valley RCMP handled 5,942 complaints in 2004, up from 5,716 in 2003. The number of people who enjoyed the dubious pleasure of a night in the cells also increased slightly, to 848 compared to 825 a year earlier. Dividing the town into four quadrants with the intersection of 50 Street and 50 Avenue at the centre, the northwest quadrant had consistently higher rates of reported crime than the other three. The only exception was for vandalism, which was most common in the southwest quadrant. [continues 110 words]
Drayton Valley Western Review -- Local residents had the chance to learn all about the Drayton Valley area office of the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission last Wednesday during the organization's first-ever Christmas open house. The all-day event was an opportunity for guests to learn about the services that provincially-funded AADAC offers to Drayton Valley and the surrounding area. "We have lots of excellent resources and we just wanted to welcome people in," said AADAC area supervisor Kevin Fisher. "People who are aware of us use our resources." [continues 207 words]
Drayton Valley Western Review -- Drayton Valley RCMP now have two more weapons for their arsenal in their war against drugs. For just over a month, two plainclothes officers have made up the detachment's new General Investigation Section which aims to focus on the town's growing drug problems. Although Drayton's drug problems seem to be the main drive for most criminal activity, most RCMP officers are kept busy filing paperwork, responding to accident calls or traffic patrol. Now, with officers Andrew Boxall and Steve Browne, the GIS will be able to gather as much information as possible and focus only on the tasks ahead of them -- ridding the town of drugs and the problems that follow. They've already served four warrants in the month they've been operating. [continues 394 words]
Businesses wishing to support anti-drug education should think twice before advertising in a booklet called the Community Drug Alert Program. SMIT Consulting, an advertising and promotions company based in Edmonton, is soliciting business all across the province and locally by telephone. The company has been a satisfactory member of the Better Business Bureau since 1994, but is producing the publication as a money making venture. "Although it is legal, this is a for profit business. They are supplying a product, but there won't be enough booklets to make a dent in the drug problem," said Norma Block, community mobilizer for Building Safer Communities. [continues 188 words]
Drayton Valley Western Review - For once, teachers were given a field trip and just like any other, education was the driving force behind it. Drayton Valley RCMP invited various school staff and administrators to have questions answered on Drayton's increasing drug problems and to view the real thing. The day began with a tour of the garage near the lockup where several toolboxes and jewelry were being kept after police picked up a suspect in a robbery. RCMP believe the items were to be sold for speed. [continues 252 words]
Drayton Valley Western Review - Drayton Valley had its 15 minutes of fame last week as the CBC aired a documentary looking at how the town is dealing with its methamphetamine problem. The documentary, which ran on Tuesday evening as part of CBC's The National, looked at the growing meth problem throughout this part of Alberta. However, the main focus was on Drayton Valley. "I loved it," says community mobilzer Norma Block. "I wish they could have focused more on the specifics of what we're doing here but in 20 minutes they can only focus on so much." [continues 283 words]
