METH IS KILLING OUR CHILDREN

For many years we have been fighting a losing battle against the
production and sale of illegal drugs. While massive resources are
expended chasing drug pushers, penalties on conviction are now little
more than a slap on the wrist. Many now argue that the battle is lost
and we should instead legalize some drugs.

Through all of this, a new and much more deadly drug has emerged.
Crystal methamphetamine is a highly-addictive, brain-destroying, and
dangerous drug. It is readily available, can be manufactured easily,
costs little, and destroys nearly everyone that tries it.

The Crystal Meth Task Force started by the Ridge Meadows Rotary Club
is an excellent example of a community fighting back. The inaugural
meeting showed that Maple Ridge will not sit back and allow drug
pushers to destroy a generation of kids. Other communities should
follow suit and there is a forum being set for Mission in September.

While a local strategy will help, ultimately, much stiffer sentencing
of those that produce or sell crystal meth should be an integral part
of any successful campaign.

Today these criminals see arrest and conviction as simply an
inconvenience and a cost of doing business.

You can assist me as your provincial MLA to urge the attorney general
of B.C. to push his federal counterpart for stiffer sentencing
prescribed by law. E-mail and mail me letters asking for mandatory
sentences for producers and dealers. Sign petitions and send them to
me.

Perhaps most important, don't be afraid to talk to your kids about
drugs. Their lives may be at stake here and the front lines are
literally drawn at your dinner table.

We can lobby for stiffer penalties but one of the most effective ways
we can put manufacturers and pushers out of business is to cut these
predators off from their most vulnerable targets - our children.

This is a battle we cannot afford to lose.

Randy Hawes, Ken Stewart,

Mission