HAWKESBURY SHOPS DITCH DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

Hawkesbury merchants plan to stop selling marijuana bongs, drug pipes
and other accessories at the request of police, even though it's
legal to do so.

The decision comes after a town hall meeting last week when store
owners agreed with Hawkesbury OPP that they were aiding drug use by
selling the paraphernalia, especially to youth.

"We had a choice to be part of it or not. There are a lot of drugs in
Hawkesbury and we don't want to be part of it," said France
Desjardins, co-owner of Varietes Desjardins.

By law, the store owners didn't have to stop selling the pipes and
can start selling them again at any time.

"They could have said no (but) they were willing to get on this
bandwagon," said Const. Pierre Dubois.

Gaetan Champagne said he'll lose about $5,000 a year and has already
had some teenagers come into his store wondering where the bongs are.

NEXT TO CANDY

"They come here now and say 'You don't have that anymore?' " said
Champagne, owner of Jo's Depanneur. "I tell them nope."

Dubois said the convenience stores were selling the marijuana or hash
pipes in colourful displays on the counter next to the candy and
chocolate bars.

"It's sending a mix message to the teenagers. We're going to schools
and telling the kids to stay away from drugs and they are going to
the depanneurs and seeing these things," he said.

Hawkesbury OPP aren't stopping there and are sharing the idea with
all OPP detachments in a bid to achieve the same results elsewhere.

"We'll get the message out ... and why not throughout Canada?" asked Dubois.