REVISED DRUG LAWS NEEDED

Focus has been growing in recent weeks on the need to reclassify
methamphetamines as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

Right now, meth is considered a less serious Schedule 3 drug than Schedule
1 drugs such as cocaine and marijuana. Is this off base? Yes. Should the
law be changed by Parliament? Absolutely.

But is changing the act is going to do anything to help communities ravaged
by the effects of crystal meth? Not really.

Calling for housekeeping in the Controlled Substances Act on this issue is
like vacuuming the carpet in a house where the roof is caving in.

Police forces need the resources to find -- and safely deal with -- the
labs creating the drugs.

Spaces need to open up in rehab centres so addicts who get arrested can get
the help they need sooner rather than later. The incredibly strong grip
created by meth means that in-patient treatment is often necessary.

Unfortunately, what is needed to tackle methamphetamines will be expensive.
It is easier for politicians to take a stand on the legal issues
surrounding this issue than find the money to actually attack the problem
on the street.

Sentencing under Schedule 3 still allows for 10-year sentences, which is
considered significant jail time on a drug charge. It is enough, in most
cases, for prosecutors to work with until the laws change.

The City of Prince Albert has two resolutions going to the Saskatchewan
Urban Municipalities Association convention. One calls for the change in
classification of methamphetamines in the Controlled Substances Act. The
other calls for an action plan in the province to crack down on the
trafficking of the substance.

Together, these two resolutions create the right approach. Changes to
sentencing laws mean nothing if there are no resources to bring offenders
before the courts.