DRUG STUDY SUPPORTED

The House of Commons has passed Randy White's motion to form a committee to
study the effects of the non-medical use of drugs in Canada.

Randy White has finally got his wish.

The Langley-Abbotsford MP saw his motion to propel the government to take a
harder look at the issue of drugs in Canada passed in the House of Commons
Thursday.

A special all-party committee will start work in next month and deliver a
final report before November 2002.

"When I look back at the record of the House of Commons I find there
actually has not been a debate in the House on drugs for decades," said White.

"That concerns me, particularly because of the advanced stage of concern
from parents and virtually everyone in the country about drugs."

The committee will assess the non-medical use of drugs, such as heroin,
cocaine, ecstasy and LSD, said White.

"I am talking about assessing the state of drug use in the nation, the
state of our children in schools, the state of prostitution on the streets,
and the state of parents from whom I receive calls practically on a daily
basis," said White. "They ask if I can help them get their child out of a
crack house or out of a province and into another province, into a facility
for drug rehabilitation and detox."

White received support from every party.

"I would like to commence by congratulating the honourable member for
Langley-Abbotsford," said Peter MacKay of the Progressive Conservatives.
"This is an issue that he has long pursued and I know that his
participation in the justice committee reiterated his interest and his
passion for seeking solutions in this area."

"I certainly applaud his concern over the issue of non-medical drug use in
Canada because it is a subject that merits the attention of all members of
parliament and all parties," added Liberal John Maloney, the Parliamentary
Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General. "Reducing the
magnitude of the drug use problem is a priority for the government,
throughout Canada, especially in our urban centres and in some of our
aboriginal communities."