A SIMPLE FIGHT

By no means does Whitecourt have some sort of rampant drug abuse problem.

To say so would be untrue and sensational. What is true, however, is
that those who are addicted to hard drugs such as cocaine and speed
are, according to the RCMP, wreaking a bit of havoc in town by
breaking into businesses or resorting to thievery.

Cocaine is a popular drug. It's the drug of choice amongst adults,
whereas speed is abused by a select group of individuals. Since
arriving to North American, imported by some enterprising criminals,
cocaine has made quite a splash - affecting the fabric of society
from the largest urban centres to towns and villages.

Imported primarily from South America, cocaine is derived from the
Coca Leaf, an indigenous plant of northwestern South America -
Columbia is famous for its illegal cultivation of this plant.

It was in the 1980s when drug dealers started to combine baking soda
and cocaine to create crack - a more addictive form of the drug.

Here in Alberta, cocaine which sells from between $80-$150 a gram, is
used by a wide segment of society - anyone from doctors to the
homeless abuse the drug in either its rock or powder form. The
earning potential of many Albertans facilitates use as well.

In recent years, many energy companies have turned to drug tests to
clamp down on cocaine abuse, which is well known to have taken place
on the job site of many oil rigs and otherwise.

Every week there seems to be another story about the drug, how or who
has been caught selling it - just this past week two 17 year olds and
one 14 year old were caught allegedly dealing two ounces of the drug.

While RCMP here say youth in the area turn to marijuana, cocaine
might be even easier to obtain as a simple phone call usually brings
a dealer to one's doorstep.

As a drug that is imported and not produced locally, cocaine should
be an easy fix. It is, however, not an easy fix. One of the primary
reasons for this is because of greed. An incredible amount of money
can be made off the drug, therefore it sparks corruption at all
levels - giving it a foot in the door.

Drug abuse will always be with us. It always has been. Perhaps the
best way to fight it is to educate the public on its affects. One
dose of cocaine can kill. Crack can decimate a life socially and
healthwise in a manner of months. As Canada's population ages,
drug-related illnesses will only further burden an already overweight
system failing under inflation and increased cost of treating chronic disease.