LOCAL POLITICIANS LAUNCH ASSAULT ON METH

Jasper Booster -- Politicians at three different levels of government
launched assaults last week in the war against a drug that has plagued the
Yellowhead region for years.

Legislation was tabled at both the provincial and federal levels that looks
to restrict the distribution of chemicals used to produce crystal
methamphetamine.

"Meth has been a real and visible problem in communities in our riding for
some time. Its effects have been devastating," said Yellowhead MP Rob
Merrifield, who introduced Bill C-349 in Ottawa on March 21.

C-349 was first tabled by Merrifield in late 2003, but it was swept aside
along with other unadopted pieces of legislation when the 2004 election was
called. The bill would see limitations placed on the possession and
distribution of certain chemicals, like red phosphorus, which are used in
meth production. C-349 would help bring Canada more in-line with
regulations already in place in the United States.

"This bill would be another tool for police to go after individuals
involved in this criminal activity and shut down these meth operations,"
Merrifield said. "Will it give the police all the power many of us want
them to have? No, but it's a start."

Meanwhile, West Yellowhead MLA Ivan Strang tabled Bill 204 at the
provincial legislature in Edmonton. Introduced March 14, the bill looks to
regulate the storage and sale of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and products
containing the two drugs.

These products are currently available over the counter at Canadian
pharmacies, but Strang said the College of Pharmacists has already been in
discussion with the province about future sale restrictions.

"Hopefully, we can make it that much harder to produce a drug that has
really taken root in the west," Strang said.

Strang's bill is slated to be read in the middle of April. Merrifield's
legislation is further down the depth chart in Ottawa and would not likely
be read until the fall.

"The order is decided by a lottery system and I am further down the list
right now, so I might have to do some horse trading to get this moved up,"
Merrifield said, adding that he has already received some encouraging calls
from other MPs and hopes the bill can be moved up to the spring session.

Statistics show meth - also known as jib, ice, or crystal, among other
things - has become an increasing social ill since the mid-1990s. Arrests
for meth trafficking in Alberta increased from 13 arrests in 1998 to 109 in
2003. Possession arrests increased from 21 in 1998 to 252 in 2003.

Tasha Allen Symon, area supervisor for the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Commission (AADAC), said meth addiction is involved with about one third of
individuals who seek substance abuse counselling with AADAC in Hinton. She
said last month that there have been about 16-20 new clients each year for
the last three years.

Meth use became such a local concern that the Hinton Drug Action Committee
was formed in 2003. A rigorous door-to-door awareness campaign and a
website (www.methhurts.com) earned them a 2004 Solicitor General Award.

Hinton Mayor Glenn Taylor and community services director, Betty Osmond,
met with Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko on March 23 to discuss diverting
fine revenue to drug rehabilitation efforts.

Taylor also met with MLA and AADAC chair, Dave Rodney, earlier this month
to discuss construction of a detoxification facility in the Yellowhead Region.

"We think something has to be offered outside of the major centres," Taylor
said. "This is important to us, especially with the severity of the problem
in communities across the Yellowhead."