SWISS PLAN NOT WORKING

TREADS would like to congratulate all candidates who have run for council
and given thought and input to our "Ask your candidate what they are going
to do about the drug problem in the Comox Valley" signs. The responses have
been varied and many. The reason for that is that the drug problem is
multifaceted and needs to be approached from many angles with community,
police, schools, businesses and youth working together.

Attention has been drawn to Melnuk's position that all options should be
looked at including legalization of drugs. He stated that in Switzerland
that legalization is working.

The current information we have is that it is not working and in fact
addiction has increased following the legalization of drugs. In 1976 the
drug laws were relaxed in Sweden, from 1984 to 1992 marijuana use in
adolescents increased 250 per cent.

During the same period USA teens marijuana use declined 66 per cent. When
looking at all the options one would look at the legalization of alcohol
and how that has led to society as it is today, with alcoholism in epidemic
proportions, including its destruction of families.

All of the candidates did recognize and acknowledge that the drug problem
is serious in the Comox Valley. Did you know? There are over 200 drug
dealers in the Comox Valley. Marijuana grow operations continue to increase
at alarming rates. "Comox Valley marijuana" is known by name and traded
pound for pound for cocaine in the USA. Eighty five per cent of police time
involves substance abuse. Fifty per cent of emergency admissions are due to
substance abuse. Thirty per cent of the rest of hospital admissions are
directly related to substance abuse. Children as young as 11 are drug users.

TREADS believes that prevention, education, treatment and stiffer penalties
are the directions to go for the greater good of the Comox Valley.

Children are our vehicle to the future and it takes a whole community to
raise them. So the next time see a child, smile and say Hi. This may be the
single most important first step that we can take in the area of prevention
- - making a difference in a child's life, making all our children our
children.

Lois Thompson
Chair