PIPES NO LONGER FOR SALE

A Sooke businessman is very concerned about our community's young people
and has altered his store's merchandise because of it.

For one day last month the Sooke River Store displayed various small pipes.
The items, which appeared to be designed for using marijuana, were pulled
out of the store the following day.

Although they would only be sold to adults, owner Oscar Chung was concerned
about children getting them and pulled the product.

Sooke resident Mark Pope complained to Chung about the pipes and wrote a
letter to the editor (Sooke News Mirror, Nov. 10). Pope was concerned it
was promoting to children the use of items used in marijuana consumption.
The Sooke River Store is located near the Edward Milne community school.

But, Chung said he himself was concerned about the products. They were
pulled because of his concerns and not Pope's complaints.

Chung is the father of two children and as a parent is concerned about the
well-being of Sooke's young people. He is also concerned about the effect
Pope's letter will have on his children.

As Pope said, in a 2003 interview when he was working on opening his
business, "My kids' life is our life."