CONVENIENCE OF DRUGS NOT WELCOMED

It was with great shock and disappointment that I discovered that a
local convenience store I frequent has started selling bongs and pipes.

These clear glass pipes are used for smoking illegal drugs, including
marijuana, crack cocaine, and crystal meth. Scales for weighing drugs
were disguised as cell phones and MP3 players. Fake cigarettes turned
out to be vials used to hide cocaine or raw heroin. Since then I have
checked out many of the convenience stores and independently owned
'dollar stores' in the Glen Abbey area. With the exception of one or
two they all sold products commonly used in the sale or use of illegal
drugs.

Under current laws, these products are legal to sell to people 19
years or older. Bongs and pipes are only illegal when police find
traces of drug residue in them. Otherwise, they are legal to sell and
display in stores, often visible at the cash register for young
children and teenagers to see.

Manufacturers of pipes and bongs are no fools. They make products
decorative, colourful, and attractive to market to kids. Several
pieces have been described as works of art. It is not surprising that
the stores with the biggest displays are also closest to a high
school; coincidence, I think not!

Recent provincial legislation has banned tobacco power walls and other
promotional displays in retail outlets; however, drug paraphernalia is
out there for everyone to see. Do our provincial and federal leaders
understand how incredulous this is?

There is clearly a market for bongs and pipes, otherwise retailers
would not be tempted to sell them. When I asked why the store owners
were selling these products they said they're just selling a legal
product and they can't control what the customer does with it. They
are making a business decision to sell legal but ultimately
destructive products. The almighty dollar is all that matters and
these products are highly profitable. It is for this reason that I
doubt that they will make a responsible choice when faced with a
15-year-old who wants to buy a pipe. I have seen many kids with these
products at school and they are definitely not 19.

If you are a business owner who chooses to sell questionable
merchandise related to the drug trade, ask yourself this question:
What impact does the selling of this merchandise have on the
community? Drugs and crime are interlinked. When cars are broken into,
people are assaulted or killed because of bad drug debts, and families
are ripped apart by drug addiction, understand that you played a role
by selling these items. You are supporting the drug trade and all of
the problems associated with it.

In return, I too am going to make an important business decision. As a
consumer, I refuse to support these businesses. I will not buy a
single stick of gum or cheap ceramic bowl from them.

Wallets are powerful economic tools and one person can make a
difference. If enough individuals choose to take their business
elsewhere, the owners will face a clear choice: support the drug trade
or provide a beneficial service that supports their surrounding community.

I am under no illusion that banning or restricting the selling of
bongs and pipes will somehow end or dramatically reduce drug use. Kids
will find ingenious ways to build makeshift drug equipment if they
can't buy it. By selling this type of merchandise openly in locations
where people purchase their milk and newspapers, we are, as a society,
condoning its usage for illegal and destructive purposes. Let's face
it we don't have to make it easier for kids to do what they shouldn't
be doing in the first place.

Please, take a look the next time you walk into your local
convenience/dollar store. If they are selling products that adversely
affect our community, make your feelings known. Even if you don't feel
comfortable with confrontation you can make a change by just talking
with your feet.

- - Tara Ashley