COUNTY DRAFTS RESTRICTIONS ON SALE OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

Vendors Would Be Prohibited From Advertising Products

Strathcona County councillors have unanimously approved a motion they
hope will allow them to restrict where and how drug paraphernalia are
sold and advertised.

Under the motion passed Tuesday, the county's planning department has
been instructed to draft amendments to land-use bylaws that would
forbid new stores from selling pipes, bongs and other such items
within 200 metres of residential property lines, schools, public
parks, recreational facilities and churches.

The new restrictions will also prevent vendors from advertising their
wares on county property and openly displaying them in stores.

"There is a right and a wrong way to sell drug paraphernalia," said
councillor Jason Gariepy, who brought the motion forward with fellow
councillor Peter Wlodarczak.

The final wording for the amendments will likely take a few months to
draft, said county commissioner Robyn Singleton. That means the
restrictions won't likely be in place until the fall at the earliest.

It's also likely that only new stores will be affected by the
changes. Vendors that currently sell bongs and pipes near schools and
churches will be allowed to continue even after the bylaws pass.

"Their operations will continue," Gariepy said. "But I hope to see
some changes in the public viewing and display (of the paraphernalia)."

Gariepy said the county is not trying to ban bongs. The only goal, he
said, is to limit the ways the public is exposed to such items.

"What started this process was a great big sign on the side of the
road on our property advertising pipes and bongs," said Wlodarczak.
"That's what made the community upset."

In a statement to council, Wlodarczak compared pipes and bongs to
needles. Their only purpose, he said, was to aid in the use of illicit drugs.

To illustrate his point, he asked parents in the room to consider
what they would think if they found a pipe in their child's backpack.

"Two possible questions would come to your mind," he said. "First,
'This looks like a pipe to smoke illicit drugs.' Second, 'I now see
mychild has a hobby collecting pipes.'

"Which question would come to your mind?" he continued. "I strongly
suspect it's the first one."