BANFF DRUG USE HIGH

Drug use is higher in Banff and Canmore than any other area in the
Headwaters Health Authority, according to a recently released health care
survey.

About 46 per cent of the people questioned in Banff and Canmore were most
likely to have used illicit drugs, with marijuana being the most common
drug.

The joint HHA and University of Calgary survey, which questioned 801 people
throughout the entire health region, showed that 30 per cent of those who
admitted to drug use smoked dope, 10 per cent used hallucinogens and five
per cent cocaine.

The Town of Banff is looking at any drug problems here and the topic tops
the agenda at the Aug. 31 Community Advisory Committee with a presentation
from the RCMP.

Sean Rapley, who sits on the newly-formed committee, said the survey results
are somewhat skewed given the makeup of the community, which attracts far
more young people in relation to families. "I wouldn't say it's not really a
problem, obviously it is if drug use is that high. I guess my biggest
concern is what type of drug use - is it hard drugs, chemicals as opposed to
a bunch of people smoking pot?'' he said. "I'm not really in the scene so I
don't know, but what I hear is it's everything from ecstasy to cocaine, to
pot to mushrooms, from organic stuff to hard chemicals and I guess more of
my concern would be placed on things like ecstasy, cocaine.''

Rapley said he wants to hear what the police have to say on enforcement
plans to deal with drugs during this month's community advisory committee
meeting.

"We really need to find out what's going on with this ecstasy drug and find
ways to educate people about its potential effects,'' he said.

"I want to hear what the RCMP answer is to that. I mean stemming the flow is
obviously the best solution always, if there's no source you can't use
them.''

Staff Sgt. Don Pipher said drugs are a problem inherent to every community,
but said Banff RCMP is working on specific areas to target street level drug
users as well as pushers.

Police cannot detail any of their programs for fear of hampering any
investigations. "We have a definite program in place targeting drug use both
on the street level and in the higher up level of drug use,'' said Pipher.

"I think there's various drugs here, a lot of it's rumour too, but I have
heard that there's ecstasy around,'' he said.

"I know there's cocaine around, I know there's marijuana and hash, I've
never heard about heroin locally but I can't say there isn't any.''

Pipher said there are police programs in place to deal with both traffickers
and users. "It is illegal so we're not by any means letting it go by. If you
go down to the court house and look at all the drug charges that are coming
up for possession, especially recently we've been really putting a focus on
it,'' he said.

"There's lots going to be coming through in the next couple of months,
that's at street level as well as we're working on the other aspect as well,
the trafficking.''

Jennifer Smith, health information officer with HHA in Canmore, said the
results of the survey come from a fairly small sample size, so the region
will not make programming decisions based on that level of detail.

She said there are many reasons the survey shows Banff and Canmore having
higher drug and alcohol use, including the fact the Bow Valley has a
younger, more transient population.