CITY COPS SAY DRUG CLAIM REAL

An Edmonton professor's claim that crack cocaine can be found in Calgary
schools is probably accurate, says a city police drug expert.

Dr. Louis Pagliaro, associate director of the University of Alberta's
substance abuse research unit, said it would be difficult to find a
crack-free school in Edmonton. He said the situation is likely the same
here.

"I would say he's right," said Det. Steve Walton of Calgary police's drug
unit.

Walton said no arrests have been made in city schools related to selling or
using crack cocaine. But he has no doubts the highly addictive drug must be
widely available.

"If I look at teens and drugs, I would say the drug is in the schools --
for sure, it's there," Walton said.

The chemical structure of crack, which is formed from regular cocaine,
gives it an addiction time of about 30 days -- five to eight times faster
than that of powder.