MP JOHN WESTON'S BILL TARGETING ILLEGAL DRUG PRODUCTION MOVES TO
SENATE

West Van MP John Weston's bill to make buying legal products for
illegal drug production a criminal offence is headed to the Senate.

Last week, the House of Commons passed third and final reading of Bill
C-475 - a bill Weston stated deals with the growing problem of crystal
meth and ecstasy.

The bill passed unanimously. Now its off to the Senate, where Weston
recently met with key senators in the push to move it along quickly.

"We are hoping it could become law this year," Weston told The Outlook
in April.

Canada is a great nation, but it can be better, he told
parliament.

"Our children are safe, but they can be safer," Weston
said.

With three children at home, Weston told The Outlook he wants to make
sure they and other children don't become the targets of drug dealers.

The bill attempts to attack the problem of methamphetamines at its
source, Weston told parliament, noting the ingredients to make these
drugs are found in cold medications.

At second reading, NDP Vancouver East MP Libby Davies welcomed the
bill, but warned the larger picture cannot 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 per cent
heads to 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.