DRUG USE A SERIOUS CONCERN IN FORT ST. JOHN

Fort St. John has its fair share of drugs according to the police official
in charge of drug enforcement, and a comparison with last year's numbers
shows that busts are on the rise.

In what is called a mayor's report prepared by the Fort St. John RCMP, the
number of cases involving drugs for the period ending at the end of May is
often twice as high as the same period last year. Though these statistics
are skewed because differences in enforcement, there is no shortage of
cases to take on.

"I think it is the same as anywhere else. We have all the drugs in Fort.
St. John from cocaine to marijuana and grow-ops and ecstasy type drugs,"
Sgt. Larry Flath of the Fort St. John RCMP's drug unit said. "Where ever
there is money you can get drugs. And there is definitely the money in Fort
St. John."

Cases of cocaine possession were up 100 per cent this year, with 10 cases
under investigation compared to five last year. Cocaine trafficking cases
were up to 42 cases at the end of May, compared to 20 last year the same
period. Marijuana possession cases were up to 64 this year, compared to 31
last year. There were the same amount of marijuana production charges at four.

"Bigger cities will have a lot more people doing investigations and will be
able to do more in-depth investigations. The bigger drug units are based in
places like Vancouver and Kelowna, and around here in Prince George," Flath
said. "From time to time they will be able to make it out to these parts.
We just don't have the opportunity to get out and do some of these types of
investigations."

This only makes sense, according to Flath, since the organized crime that
control the industry are also based in larger centres.

Another group who have become increasingly concerned with the level of drug
use in the area is the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C., according to
their regional manager of preventative services.

While it is difficult to determine exactly the instances of drug use in the
work place, WCB is increasingly fearful of the consequences of drug use in
dangerous workplaces. They have started an educational campaign to teach
supervisors how to detect drug use in the work place, especially in the oil
fields.

"What I have noticed is companies in the North are very happy to work with
the Northern Business Council and Action North (two groups WCB are working
with). Especially in the oil patch, if you have somebody stoned operating a
rig you can have a serious disaster. Besides this there is a loss of
productivity and damaging company equipment. With all this there is a real
desire to keep the work place clean," Bruce Clarke said.

Clarke said they also have the capacity to impose "monetary sanctions" upon
companies who let an employee work under the influence of drugs.