ALBERTANS HOOKED ON COCAINE

CALGARY -- Cocaine abuse is Alberta's biggest drug problem, with
reported offences jumping by 12% last year, according to a provincial
task force.

That's compared to a 1% dip in overall drug offences across the
province in 2006 - with those involving marijuana witnessing an 8%
reduction, according to the report compiled by Alberta's Crime
Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force and released last week.

Red Deer Tory MLA Mary Anne Jablonski, who sat on the province's
crystal meth task force, yesterday said cocaine abuse is now more
cause for concern than crystal meth, which topped the radar for many years.

"Because nobody's really focused on or emphasized the consequences of
using cocaine, and because the drug is not as dirty as crystal meth,
I think that people turned to cocaine for their preferred drug of
use," said Jablonski.

Jablonski said the province's focus needs to be on thwarting all drug
use, not just crystal meth.

Across Canada, there has been a 67% increase in cocaine offences
since 2002, according to the task force's report, entitled Keeping
Communities Safe.