WESTON'S CRYSTAL METH BILL BECOMES LAW

Just in the nick of time before today's (Friday, March 25)
non-confidence vote in the House of Commons, John Weston's Private
Members' Bill became law.

The new law makes it a crime to procure the ingredients of the drugs
ecstasy and crystal meth with the intent of producing them.

Weston's was the last Private Members' Bill to be enacted before
today's historic vote, which brought down the Federal Government and
will prompt an election call. According to a press release by Weston's
office, Governor-General David Johnston signed the bill just after 8
a.m. Ottawa time.

"Today's enactment is all about protecting our youth, building our
communities, keeping our streets safer," Weston, the West
Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky MP, said in a statement.

"The new law will provide much needed help for law enforcement
officials to protect our young people from the scourge of these drugs."

The bill received unanimous support when it passed through the House
in June 2010, but was held up in the Senate until yesterday (Thursday,
March 24). The Senate unanimously supported the bill yesterday,
allowing third reading to proceed before the non-confidence vote.

Weston hosted an event in Vancouver on Sunday (March 27) to celebrate
the passing of the bill.

"Bill C-475 has provided a much-needed tool in limiting the production
and trafficking of these devastating drugs," Carrie De Jong, a
Bowen-Island based addictions counsellor, said in a statement. "It
will provide another means of limiting access to harmful substances by
those who are vulnerable and at risk for addiction."