CRYSTAL METH CRACKDOWN URGED

Nation's Youth In Serious Peril, Say Western Premiers

LLOYDMINSTER, Alta. -- Young Canadians are in serious peril from crystal
meth, say the western premiers, and the country needs to help them with a
comprehensive strategy to deal with its production, trafficking and often
heart-breaking after-effects.

At their annual meeting yesterday, leaders of the four western provinces
and three northern territories called on Ottawa to ensure that sentences
for trafficking in meth are at least as harsh as those for cocaine or
heroine. Judges have discretion in sentencing, but the jail terms for meth
are often half or a third as long as those given for the other drugs.

"Our youth are in really quite grave danger in this drug," said Alberta
deputy premier Shirley McClellan, who filled in for an ailing Ralph Klein
as host of the conference.

"It doesn't seem to be perceived publicly as such a serious drug and
addiction, where in fact it should be classed with absolutely the worst of
drugs."

The premiers also plan to lobby the federal government for tighter controls
on the materials used to produce crystal meth -- all commonplace, legal
substances on their own.

Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert will chair a meeting of western health,
justice and public safety ministers in Regina in June to come up with
concrete steps that can be taken on the enforcement front. They'll also
look for the best ways to educate kids about the dangers of crystal meth
and to treat those who have become addicted. It's estimated over 90 per
cent of people who try crystal meth become addicted. And the average life
span for an addict is seven years from the time they become addicted.
Winnipeg police have shut down numerous crystal meth labs in the city in
the last year.

U.S. states have succeeded in reducing crystal meth production by making it
harder to buy the ingredients used to make it, including ephedrine and
pseudoephedrine. The main ingredient in meth, ephedrine is found in most
over-the-counter cold remedies and in several health supplements designed
for things such as weight loss and endurance boosters.

Oklahoma put cold remedies behind the counter in pharmacies and within a
year, the number of crystal meth drug raids plummeted 80 per cent.

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer said it's a matter of finding out what works
best and implementing that. But he believes a coordinated approach among
the provinces is needed to ensure criminals can't jump to another
jurisdiction to get the ingredients needed.

The western premiers also said yesterday that Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh
should concentrate on holding up Ottawa's end of the federal-provincial
health agreement rather than lecturing the provinces on how they deliver
services.

"I think Mr. Dosanjh should spend more of his time getting Canada's
health-care system in First Nations communities up to the standards of
provinces," Doer said. "He lectures a lot, but he is responsible for one of
the largest health-care systems in Canada, and there's not enough primary
health services in the northern communities."

He was commenting on a recent letter the federal minister sent to four
provinces -- Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia -- that
currently use private clinics for diagnostic procedures such as MRIs.
Dosanjh suggested the clinics are violating the Canada Health Act because
paying patients can get priority service.

"This practice also has the effect of eroding the confidence Canadians have
in their universal, publicly funded health-care system," the letter stated.

Also on the agenda yesterday were agreements to improve transportation
infrastructure, and to invite the new U.S. ambassador to a meeting with
western premiers to discuss U.S.-Canada trade as it relates to the west.
The Americans have nominated David Wilkins to replace Paul Cellucci as the
U.S. ambassador to Canada. He has not yet been confirmed.

The meeting will wrap up today, likely with an announcement that Manitoba
will host the annual conference next year in Gimli.