DRUG FIGHT TRULY DOES TAKE A COMMUNITY

In Case You Missed We've Been Talking a Lot About Drugs Lately.

To be honest it wasn't by design, it just kind of happened. I was
tasked at the start of the year with conducting an indepth interview
with a local RCMP General Investigative Section constable. In my line
of work that kind of task is a golden opportunity.

What came out of it was a six part series on the nature of drugs in
our community.

I learned a drug fight truly does take a community. Not just from the
perspective of people being responsible citizens and letting the RCMP
know when something is fishy. From the prevention and awareness
perspective the whole community has a responsibility to help protect
and prevent drug situations from occurring. From the rehabilitation
the whole community has a responsibility to be non-judgmental,
patient and positive.

The other part of it was that we here at the newspaper received
several letters from people blasting the direction we went with the
series. I was taken aback with the ferociousness with which people
attacked me for writing about how drug laws are enforced. To the
point I was called a lying, alcoholic, racist, idiot -- that letter
was sent anonymously from some coward, who is against the prohibition of drugs.

There may be some merit to the anti-prohibitionist argument. If gangs
weren't the main way for drugs were sold would they fight over
territory. But I still wonder wouldn't an addict still steal and sell
to fund their habit. Wouldn't that habit still destroy their own life
and their relationships with everyone in their life. Not to mention
even though cigarettes are regulated and sold legally it doesn't
preclude gangs, for example the Akwesasne reserve, which straddles
Quebec, Ontario and New York State, has a lengthy history of illegal
tobacco products and gang related activities.

Drugs are prohibited for a very good reason. Have you ever hard of a
'recreational' crack user? Long-term chemical dependency leads to
seizures, anxiety, depression and psychotic episodes. The majority of
us have accepted it, and it's time to move on.

But during my research I came across a statistic that really caught
my eye. Locally 16 per cent of youth and 21 per cent of adults said
the reason they got into drugs was they had too much money. TOO MUCH
MONEY, can you share a little of that too much money with me?

We live in a booming city; growth is one of the constants when you
live here, there are many well-paying jobs. For those unburdened by
student debt, family responsibilities, car payments and credit card
debt there has to be so many different ways to spend some money,
certainly better ways than a drug addiction, like a savings account
or better yet taxes that help the social programs that keep our
society functioning.

The too much money goes part and parcel with the drug of choice for
area residences. Cocaine. Always known as a rich person's drug.

But it's starting to be supplanted locally. Crystal meth, which isn't
a rich person's drug, is emerging. Is it a sign of a populous tired
and worn out of cocaine and looking for a new fix. Or is it a sign of
some of that too much money disappearing. I'm going with the former.

I urge people to call and talk with the local GIS unit, (306)
825-6350, ask to speak to them. They are good people and by calling
you are doing your civic duty.