SPECIFIC PLAN TO FIGHT CRYSTAL METH NOT IN WORKS

The NDP government has no plans to implement a specific strategy dealing
with crystal methamphetamine.

Learning Minister Andrew Thomson brushed off a demand by the Saskatchewan
Party on Wednesday that the government follow the lead of Alberta and
British Columbia in developing an interdepartmental provincial strategy to
combat the highly addictive drug.

"Our approach remains the same. Obviously we're concerned about crystal
meth and other designer drugs but we're also concerned about the wide range
of intoxicants that youth are involving themselves with," he told reporters
at the legislature.

Thomson said crystal meth use is not as prevalent in Saskatchewan as it is
in the provinces to the west and the government should not pull resources
from fighting other problems such as alcohol and solvent abuse.

The mayors of Saskatchewan's cities recently met, with crystal meth at the
top of their agenda. Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief
Alphonse Bird also said this week that use of the drug has become a major
concern within the aboriginal community. "I appreciate that many groups are
saying we need to focus on this. That is one of the issues we need to deal
with. But let's not fall into this trap that the Opposition tried to lead
us into two years ago around ecstasy abuse, saying that the raves and the
modern music were driving young people to drug use. It was ridiculous,"
said Thomson.

Saskatchewan Party MLA June Draude, who recently attended a conference on
the drug in Alberta, said the government should be getting ahead of the
crystal meth issue precisely before it becomes as big a problem as in other
provinces.

"It's time the NDP realized the seriousness of this issue," she said.

"We have an opportunity here to be proactive, we have an opportunity to
tell young people the dangers of it and not just them but the community."

Draude said the government's crystal meth strategy should include more
public education, especially in schools, about the drug.

There also needs to be a greater emphasis on treatment for addiction to
crystal meth and restrictions on the bulk sale of ingredients used for
making the drug.

Methamphetamine is made in illegal labs by cooking up various chemicals and
pharmaceuticals, including over-the-counter cold medicine.

The Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists has asked its members to monitor
the situation in their stores and voluntarily limit sales of the items if
it is needed.