DRUG BATTLE ESCALATES

The battle to rid Kahnawake of drugs has just heated up. Picking up where
it left off last year, a group of community members has been setting up
shop on the Old Malone Highway to bring awareness to the drug problem in
Kahnawake.

They have also posted a sign on a tree in the Knights of Columbus parking
lot which reads, 'Up with hope, down with dope.' In response to this sign,
a residence near Kane's Corner posted a sign of its own which says, 'Down
with hope, Up with smoke.' There is also what appears to be a marijuana
plant pictured on the sign.

This year, the group of community members has been setting up in the area
between Lafleur's and Hot Spots Restaurant. This area is a popular hangout
spot for the community's teenagers. Last year the group was situated in
front of Doda's Tickle Trunk.

The group began its Saturday night fireside vigils last spring following an
incident where two youths were found unconscious in front of Lafleur's
Market in March 1999.

At the time, that incident seemed like the straw that broke the camel's
back, as a series of anti-drug meetings and marches began afterwards.
Peacekeepers also began stepping up patrols and made a number of
drug-related arrests, all of which were highly publicized.

After this, the drug trade went further underground, say Peacekeepers,
because they found drugs more difficult to find. They believe the dynamic
of the drug trade in Kahnawake has changed. No longer can someone walk to
someone's door and buy the drugs they want. Now, say Peacekeepers, it has
become more difficult, with dealers only selling to people they know.

As the attention began to wane and because the drug problem wasn't so
prominent, it was no longer front page news. People seemed to forget that
there remained a drug problem in Kahnawake over the winter months. That is
until something else happened.

That something else happened a couple of weeks ago when a teenager was seen
leaving a residence and was 'freaking out.' The teen had to be transported
by ambulance and hospitalized for an apparent overdose. Other teens said he
had taken both acid and mescaline.

This resulted in the nighttime vigils restarting, this time in closer
proximity to the youth, to whom they want to get the message across. Some
people have expressed the sentiment that more needs to be done by the
Peacekeepers, community services and the community as a whole, to deal with
the issues of drugs in the community, especially among our youth.