Bylaw Enforcement:

LONG CALLS FOR CRACKDOWN ON GLASS PIPES

Drug Paraphernalia Sales Might Be Controlled, If Not Banned, Through
Municipal Bylaws.

Children shouldn't be faced with crack pipes and other drug
paraphernalia when they walk into Langley convenience stores, a
Township councillor says.

At Monday night's council meeting, Bob Long called for staff to look
into what can be done to regulate the sale and display of glass pipes.

Council will vote on his motion at the Jan. 23 meeting.

Long said his concern was sparked when he saw a display of glass crack
pipes and drug paraphernalia on display at a dollar store in
Aldergrove recently.

Other stores around Langley and Surrey have come under fire recently
from parents and school groups for similar practices.

A Willoughby corner store has upset Willoughby Elementary parents for
more than a year. The owner has refused to stop selling paraphernalia,
and also sells "rose tubes" which are often used by crack smokers as a
cheap alternative to actual pipes [Glass tubes worry parents, Nov. 25,
Langley Advance].

Long said the Township's bylaws department isn't sure it's possible to
ban the sale of such items altogether. It may be outside of the
jurisdiction of municipalities, and possibly unconstitutional.

He said it may be possible to limit where stores can display such
items. There are already regulations that keep pornography from being
displayed in easy reach of children.

The fact that the paraphernalia is often at children's eye-level is
one of Long's concerns: "I don't think they should be right there in
sight."

Long has talked to one dollar store owner about his paraphernalia
displays, with no results. He hopes a bylaw officer might have more
luck.

Other measures outside of regulation might help too, he said, noting,
"Ultimately, boycotting these stores works very well."