COKE CRACKS TOP SCOURGE LIST

Crack cocaine abuse is the province's biggest drug problem, a new
report shows, and many Alberta towns are grappling with the fallout.

From Lethbridge to the oilsands and elsewhere, crack and its link to
organized crime are identified as a more serious problem than
marijuana and methamphetamines, according to the recently-released
Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta annual report.

"Crack cocaine was reported as the most prevalent drug in the
majority of regions last year," the report states.

It goes on to note, crack cocaine trafficking and abuse are also on
the rise in the area that stretches west of Edmonton to the B.C.
border, north to the Northwest Territories, and east to Saskatchewan.

"The illicit drug trade in this region points to a preference for
crack cocaine followed by marijuana, ecstacy and crystal
methamphetamine," the report states.

The problems surrounding the drug trade and increased crime are
linked to the booming economy, especially in the red-hot oilpatch.

Crack cocaine addiction and the crime that funds it are also growing
problems for Lethbridge, according to the report.

"Crack addicts have admitted to involvement in the city's large
number of armed robberies in order to grab some cash so that they can
feed their addiction," it states.

In Red Deer, which is also experiencing an economic boom, RCMP Const.
Kathe Deheer said crack is certainly a rising problem.

"Crack cocaine is the drug of choice," she said.

"We are finding that it is more common than in past years."

Brooks Mayor Don Weisbeck said he's not surprised cocaine is listed
as the most widespread drug in Alberta for 2006.

"It's certainly the one that worries us the most -- it's the one that
we're focusing on," he said.

Alberta's growing prosperity has led to a noticeable surge in the use
of the drug in the city located 160 km southeast of Calgary, he said.

Calgary has been dealing with its own burgeoning crack problem in
recent years, the downtown core and surrounding areas plagued by
crack addicts and dealers, said ward Ald. Madeleine King, a presence
that leads to increased crime in the area.

The Beltline has been especially hit by the scourge, ranking as the
most crime plagued neighbourhood in the city, something King has
directly attributed to the drug problems in the area.

"It had been growing steadily in importance," King said yesterday
about the drug.

"It is a very significant problem."