SULLIVAN RENEGES ON CRYSTAL METH PROMISE

Mayor Sam Sullivan says he can't fulfill a campaign promise to
establish a crystal meth task force until the city's budget is established.

Sullivan told the Courier Tuesday that a preliminary report from the
city's director of finance indicating a potential 8.1 per cent tax
hike for residents set back any council initiatives.

"We're going to have to make some tough choices about what we do,
what we don't do and what we delay," Sullivan said. "I can't commit
to the task force or a number of other things that were a priority to
me before the election."

In his campaign for mayor, Sullivan announced Oct. 27 he would
establish a crystal meth task force within 18 months of becoming
mayor. Now he can't say whether it will ever become a reality.

"It would be unwise of me to make any commitments right now for this
next fiscal year so we can make sure that we're on sound financial footing."

During the campaign, then-COPE Coun. Ellen Woodsworth criticized
Sullivan's plan for a task force, saying it would duplicate the work
of the existing Methamphetamine Response Committee. The city belongs
to the two-year-old committee chaired by the Vancouver Coastal Health
Authority. Woodsworth accused Sullivan of trying "to score political
points" in announcing the plan.

When he made his promise, Sullivan said the program would be paid
with a $10,000 grant from the provincial government, which offers
such grants to communities facing crystal meth problems.

Sullivan called his earlier comment about provincial money "issues
that we're going to be reviewing. It would be unwise for me to make
commitments right now before we've had a full council briefing on it
and before a vote."

According to Sullivan's original plan, the task force would include
health care providers, police, crystal meth experts, addicts,
community organizations, outreach facilities and students from high
school, college and university.

The NPA's crystal meth plan also included "an aggressive education
program to let street kids know that help is available," and the
creation of tougher bylaws to deal with meth labs.

Sullivan didn't believe the task force would duplicate the work of
the response committee. "What I often find is sometimes with the
provincial initiatives, they don't really take into consideration the
special needs of Vancouver."

The plan also called for public forums on the crystal meth problem,
but it is the provincial government leading that. Next Wednesday,
Jan. 25, Solicitor General John Les will host a forum at The Centre
for Performing Arts at 777 Homer, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Sullivan said he has a prior commitment that night and will send NPA
Coun. Kim Capri, a former parole officer and executive director of
the B.C. Crime Prevention Association.

Dr. Darryl Plecas of the University College of the Fraser Valley will
speak on the scope of crystal meth use and production in B.C. Angela
Marshall of Fraser House will speak on the drug's health effects and risks.

Police and health officials are expected to attend and answer questions.

Donald MacPherson, the city's drug policy coordinator, recently
authored the report Preventing Harm from Psychoactive Substance Use.
It was reviewed by the previous council.

Two recommendations in the report include a prevention task force and
a prevention strategy.

B.C. recorded 37 crystal meth-related deaths in 2004, and 12 of those
were Vancouver residents. In the 24-month period ending March 2005,
police dismantled 33 meth labs in B.C., 24 of which were in the Lower Mainland.

Crystal meth is a man-made drug that can be swallowed, smoked,
injected or snorted. It is popular with street kids and gay men,
according to the 2005 Canadian Addiction Survey.