NEW METH PENALTIES APPLAUDED

The father of a recovering crystal meth addict applauded the news
Thursday that the federal government has increased the maximum
penalties for possession, trafficking and production of the drug.

"I think it is a move in the right direction. I am really pleased that
they have gotten on this really quickly. The people that are out there
selling this material to our kids need to understand, if they're going
to do this they're are going to pay a price, and they are going to pay
a hefty price,'' said Saskatchewan Party MLA Ted Merriman.

Merriman has waged a personal and political campaign -- with full
support of his party -- to get methamphetamines off the street and
toughen penalties for crystal meth trafficking ever since he went
public with his daughter Kelly's own battle with the drug.

"The average life span for a meth addict is seven years once they
become addicted. We've already had 10 meth-related funerals in
Saskatoon this year alone,'' he said from his constituency office in
Saskatoon.

Crystal meth is a death sentence. The least we can do is give the
low-lifes who sell it to kids a life sentence,'' Merriman said,
expressing the hope judges will apply the maximum sentences.

Changes under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, means that the
production and distribution of methamphetamine will be treated by the
courts with the same seriousness as illegally dealing in cocaine. The
maximum penalty for making, importing, exporting or trafficking in
crystal meth has increased to life in prison from 10 years.

Saskatchewan Justice Minister Frank Quennell said the provincial
government was very pleased with the federal actions, something
Saskatchewan had been calling for some time.

"When a life sentence is the maximum allowable then all the sentences
that are given for an offence tend to go up because they're compared
against the maximum, what would happen in the most extreme case," he
told reporters at the provincial legislature.

"I think that will have a deterrent effect but there are a lot of
pieces to this puzzle. Prevention's important and part of prevention
is suppression of supply. And part of suppression of supply is first
of all deterrence of traffickers and secondly keeping people who are
in the business of trafficking crystal meth off the street for a
longer period of time," Quennell said.

The province was also pleased with the federal government plans,
announced earlier this year, to put additional restrictions on the
precursor materials used to make crystal meth, he said.

"Now we would be interested in making sure the appropriate controls
are in place and that there are enough resources and inspectors to
make sure that precursor chemicals only go to legitimate
manufacturers," Quennell said.

"In the United States good regulations were put in place but the
enforcement wasn't always there."

Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco also welcomed the news.