FCM URGES FEDERAL METH ACTION

The scourge of methamphetamine and its effect across the country was
the issue that most struck Qualicum Beach Mayor Teunis Westbroek when
he attended the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) meeting in
St. John's, Newfoundland last week.

"It's a major problem in communities right across Canada," Westbroek
says.

He notes that an emergency resolution calling on the federal
government to take action to curb the menace passed
unanimously.

The FCM urged the federal Ministry of Health to come up with a
comprehensive response to what Westbroek called the crystal meth crisis.

"Crystal meth is rated below marijuana, so the penalties for
production, possession or trafficking don't reflect how destructive
and addictive this drug is," he says.

"We want to change that and have it reclassified. We want legislation
that would see the ingredients needed to produce this drug made more
difficult to obtain."

A large part of the problem with the drug, Westbroek says, is the fact
that the ingredients to make it are relatively easy to purchase over
the counter.

He says the municipal officials at the FCM wanted the ingredients
available only by prescription.

"The ingredients are too easily available for the drug makers." he
says.

"We wanted them taken off the shelves and made available by
prescription only."

And it appears the government was listening. On Friday federal Health
Minister Ujjal Dosanjh announced that the federal government wants to
strengthen the regulation of chemicals used to produce
methamphetamine.

Dosanjh also announced that Ottawa is looking at amending the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to increase the penalties for
trafficking in crystal meth.