CHURCHES CALL FOR ACTION ON DRUG PROBLEM

Vulcan County churches are speaking out about a problem that they say
has gotten out of hand.

The churches have written a letter to the councils of Vulcan, Vulcan
County, Arrowwood, Milo, Lomond, Champion and Carmangay asking them
to help solve the drug problem within the county.

"We look to you, as our elected officials, to champion this fight
against drugs and to provide the leadership to effectively deal with
drug suppliers with all the force of law at your disposal," say the
church groups in the letter, dated Dec. 28.

Rev. Gordon Cranch of St. Aldheim's Anglican Church said drugs are
causing a good deal of harm to residents of Vulcan County.

"I have one of the smallest churches in Vulcan, and yet I can think
of easily three families that have been hurt by drugs," he said last week.

Social worker Dennis Nowoselsky treats people who have drug problems,
but that's the tip of the iceberg, Cranch added.

People might hear about drugs in media, "but that's somewhere else,"
he said. In reality, however, drugs are here in Vulcan County.

"Anyone who is foolish enough to believe that we don't have a drug
problem in Vulcan has got their head in the sand," he said.

And drugs are causing a good deal of harm to families, said Cranch.

Other pastors probably see more of this, he said, adding "it's just
that I'm the most annoyed."

The clergy say that, as representatives of Christ in Vulan County,
they are supposed to speak out about issues affecting the wellbeing
of parishioners, residents and communities.

"In today's society, one of the greatest problems facing us is the
use of, sale of, and proliferation of drugs in our cities, towns,
villages and farm communities," the churches say. "This affliction
does not respect age, sex, class, or any other criterion we can
raise. It is a worldwide problem and one from which we, in Vulcan
County, are not exempt.

"The ripple effect of drug use tears families apart, bankrupts
businesses, (and) results in vandalism, property damage, theft, abuse
and so many more crimes."

The Vulcan County Ministerial Association plans to meet today
(Wednesday) to discuss what can be done to help fight the drug problem.

Nowoselsky said he sees plenty of drug abuse. He has 35 drug-related
cases , and most involve alcohol. But he also sees people addicted to
cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs. He sees plenty of cocaine
addictions in adults in the 20-40 year-old age, he added.

"For the size of our county . (the drug problem is) pretty
significant," said Nowoselsky, who has 35 years of social work experience.

Many people with an addiction are not actually from Vulcan County but
from an urban centre, said Nowoselsky. They come to Vulcan for help
and family support, he said.

Vulcan has good self-help groups -- Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon
- -- but they're not being used enough, he said. AA meets twice a week,
on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m., at the Lutheran Church in
Vulcan. Al-Anon meets once a week, on Tuesdays at 8 p.m, at the
Lutheran Church.

There's a stigma attached to drug addiction, he said.

"It's an illness," Nowoselsky said.

Cpl. Larry Wiltshire of the Vulcan RCMP said the drug problem in
Vulcan is no worse than anywhere else he's policed.

"But it's still an issue with us," he said.

Vulcan RCMP know they have marijuana users, and some people are using
crack cocaine and crystal meth.

He welcomed the local churches taking the initiative to help reduce
drug use within the county.

"By them wanting to step up and help, we've suddenly got a big group
behind us with which we can do some things," he said.

Wiltshire hopes to have an officer from a drug awareness unit come to
Vulcan County in February and talk to local residents from
communities within the detachment's coverage area.

"We're trying to bring up (the drug problem) by doing these community
talks, so that everybody understands it's a problem," said Wiltshire,
adding drug addiction is a community concern.

"We need people working with us," he said.