DRUG WAR HITS THE STREETS IN ALBERTA

Edmonton Mayor Has Had Enough

EDMONTON -- Police found young Richard Prasad's bloody body slumped
over the wheel of a car with a gaping bullet hole in his chest, yet
another killing in an ongoing gang war over illegal drugs.

Rather than accept the violent death of the 17-year-old as just
another crime statistic, Edmonton Mayor Bill Smith decided 2003 was
the year to say enough is enough. He called a snap news conference and
angrily ordered drug pushers to get out of town.

Mr. Smith pleaded with judges for tougher sentences. He implored
parents to watch their kids. And he called on political leaders to
bankroll a war to eradicate the drug trade and the crime it spawns
across Canada.

"All politicians should be speaking out about this. It is a huge
problem," said Mr. Smith, who wants the crackdown to apply to hard
drugs such as d-methamphetamine and crack cocaine as well as softer
drugs such as marijuana.

The fight is definitely on. In December, 61 hand-picked officers from
the RCMP and the Edmonton and Calgary police services start zeroing in
on organized crime in Alberta, including the drug trade.

The IROC (integrated response to organized crime) unit will also
investigate related crimes including money laundering, prostitution
and extortion.

While some people have scoffed at Mr. Smith's war on drugs, his
message has resonated with other Alberta communities facing the same
problem.

Camrose, a small city southeast of Edmonton, has been struggling with
the growing popularity of d-methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug
with users who range from young teens to middle-aged adults. Known on
the street as crystal, meth or ice, d-methamphetamine is relatively
cheap to buy and can be easily made in a makeshift lab in a basement
or garage.

Once limited to the United States west coast, meth has swept into some
Western Canadian cities and can be readily bought in small communities
and rural areas in Central Alberta.

Meth users experience a rush of euphoria and energy when they smoke,
sniff or inject the drug. They try to maintain the high by bingeing.

The high is followed by a crash, during which the user can experience
feelings of confusion, irrational anger and violent, out-of-control
rages. Along with the human cost to addicts and their families, the
growing drug trade has led to more crime.

In Edmonton, police report that property crimes such as break-ins are
up 11 per cent over last year, mainly because of methamphetamine addicts.