WESTON'S BILL TARGETING ILLEGAL DRUG PRODUCTION PASSES

West Vancouver MP John Weston's push to make buying legal products
for drug production a criminal offence is one step closer to becoming
a reality.

In November 2009, Weston first introduced his private members' bill
to make it illegal to buy over-the-counter products to make crystal
meth or ecstasy. On April 14, the bill unanimously passed second
reading in the House of Commons.

"This is the first time a private members' bill in this parliament
session got unanimous support," Weston said.

The bill attempts to attack the problem of these methamphetamines at
is source, Weston said, noting that the ingredients for many of these
drugs are found in cold medications. With three children at home, the
oldest being 13, Weston said he wants to make sure they and other
children don't become the targets of drug dealers.

"We are hoping it could become law this year," Weston said.

In Weston's statement to parliament he pointed to the 2007
U.S.-Canada Drug Threat Assessment, which reported "effective U.S.
legislation restricting the purchase of precursor chemicals" was
successful in cutting back cross-border drug smuggling.

"We need the provisions of this bill not only to allay the fears of
our biggest trading partner, but more importantly to protect our
families and our children," Weston told parliament.

While NDP Vancouver East MP Libby Davies welcomed the bill, she
warned the larger picture can not be ignored. Reliance on enforcement
and approaches that focus on the criminal code are not going to solve
the major issues Canadians face with drug addictions, she told parliament.

Canada spends approximately 73 per cent of its drug policy budget on
enforcement, while 14 per cent goes toward treatment, seven percent
heads for research and 2.6 per cent is put toward harm reduction, she said.

"One thing that really concerns us is that we have seen from the
current government an overemphasis on enforcement," Davies said.
"This bill would very much be a part of that."

The fact that the bill does not name the products and that the
various substances used in making these drugs are so readily
available makes enforcement challenging, she noted.