FEDERAL LIBERALS HURTING OUR FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL DRUGS

From Parliament Hill

Jasper Booster - Recently, Health Canada released an alarming report on
teen drug use. It showed that almost 85,000 Canadian teens between the ages
of 12 and 19 smoke marijuana daily, and that in 2003 34 percent of teens
had tried marijuana more than once - a dramatic spike from 1993 levels of
13 per cent.

Here in Yellowhead, we are witnessing first-hand the negative effects of
increased teen drug use in our schools and on our streets. Drug users and
the criminal element that closely follows are tarnishing both our image as
a safe place to raise families and the reputation of the majority of youth
who have responsibly stayed away from drugs.

It is not that we are doing nothing. Our communities have been proactive in
holding meetings where parents, citizens, youth and police have come
together to discuss the challenges and steps necessary to drive drugs out
of Yellowhead. I attended one of these meetings and was pleased to see
everyone united in ridding our community of drugs.

While Yellowhead battles this problem, the federal Liberals have decided to
take an increasingly soft stand on drug use. The Liberals ' incoherent
response to drug use in Canada has left youth with the impression that drug
use, particularly pot smoking, is now acceptable.

This is especially troubling in Yellowhead where drug dealers have begun to
lace marijuana with the highly addictive and dangerous drug
methamphetamine, more commonly know as crystal meth. Now is the time to
take a tough stand against illegal drugs.

We can all agree that the current system in place to deal with marijuana
producers and users does not work. The courts are unable, and in many
circumstances unwilling, to deal with marijuana possession cases. If the
courts are not going to do it then we must give police the necessary tools
to effectively deal with marijuana at street level.

These tools should include giving police the ability to issue substantial
fines on the spot for anyone caught with very small quantities of marijuana.

This change must be in conjunction with severe penalties for repeat
offenders as well as for those who produce and sell drugs on our streets.

We must send the message that drug use, no matter how minor, does have
immediate consequences.

The federal Liberals' solution is to issue small fines to those caught with
up to fifty marijuana cigarettes. This is a ridiculous limit that sends the
message to Canadian youth that marijuana is not that bad.

And despite the efforts of our community to rid our streets and schools of
drugs, the Liberals ' brand of justice includes a youth discount for
marijuana possession, even though it is the same offence.

Stronger legislation, harsher penalties and increased education and
available resources to communities and police are the direction we should
be moving. I will take that message to Ottawa and am currently in the
process of drafting a Private Members Bill to help with our community' s
efforts. More on that in the new year.

Please feel free to contact me with your thoughts or suggestions at
1-800-268-7117 or at www.merrifieldmp.com