BILL AIMS TO PROTECT CHILDREN ENDANGERED BY DRUGS

MPP's Private Member's Bill Passes Second Reading

ORILLIA - A local MPP's effort to better protect "drug-endangered
children" has passed second reading.

Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop's private member's bill, Bill 84,
would amend the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA), which "is not
strong enough to protect drug-endangered children," he said.

The bill unanimously passed second reading last week at Queen's Park.

The bill would amend the CFSA "by clearly identify drug-endangered
children as a new category of children in need of protection;
classifying the act of drug endangering a child as child abuse, which
would automatically under the CFSA make this behaviour an offence
punishable by a sentence of up to two years, a fine of up to $2,000,
or both; and including exposure of a child to the production and
trafficking of all illegal drugs listed in Canada's Controlled Drugs
and Substances Act."

"We have to do everything possible to protect children who are
endangered by illegal drug activities. They are being raised in
dangerous environments where their health, well being and safety are
being threatened," Dunlop said. "We also need to give police and
child-protection workers the tools they need to do their jobs more
effectively, and that is exactly what my bill will do."

In a news release, Robert Herman, chief of the Thunder Bay Police
Service and president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
(OACP), expressed his support for the bill "because it addresses our
concerns regarding legislative changes needed to protect drug
endangered children, including those exposed to trafficking activities."

"The OACP believes that the status quo is not good enough for
vulnerable children growing up in homes where marijuana, crystal meth
or other illegal drugs are produced and often trafficked. Police in
Ontario have witnessed firsthand why current legislation must be
improved based on the direct experiences of our officers involving
drug-endangered children."

The Orillia OPP detachment commander said any legislation "designed
to protect the welfare of children" is a positive.

"I have some experience with it, and I think this legislation is a
step in the right direction," Insp. Don Goard said Tuesday.

When Goard was working in northern Ontario, he recalled police
helping the Children's Aid Society seize a child whose parents were
addicted to hard drugs.

"When we apprehended the child, the child was starving, and there
wasn't a piece of furniture in the house."

Fortunately, that story had a happy ending. The mother beat her
addiction and went on to earn a diploma from a post-secondary school.

"There are good stories and bad ones, but anything that will help the
kids is a good thing," Goard said.

The bill is now in front of the standing committee of justice policy,
and it's up to the government to call it forward for public hearings
before it goes to third reading.

"I am hoping we can put aside party politics and work together in the
legislature to move this bill forward in order to protect all those
innocent children who are affected by these dangerous conditions
daily. This is about doing the right thing," Dunlop said.

A letter from Herman to Child and Youth Services Minister Laurel
Broten included the following points:

"c The current CFSA does not clearly recognize that drug-endangered
children even exist, because they're not even specifically mentioned
as a category of children in need of protection

"c The current CFSA does not recognize that drug endangering a child
is a form of child abuse

"c The current CFSA does not penalize people for drug endangering a
child, and this lack of a penalty or deterrent for drug endangering a
child has resulted in the turnstile effect of children being returned
countless times to the homes of their drug-endangering environments

"c The current CFSA does not recognize that drug endangering a child
isn't just about exposing them to illegal drugs "" it's also about
exposing them to the trafficking of illegal drugs.