MOORE TRIES TO HAVE DATE-RAPE DRUGS CLASSIFIED AS WEAPONS

MP James Moore (Port Moody-Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam) announced Tuesday he
will work with the Carleton University Canadian Alliance Campus Club to
raise awareness of the dangers of date-rape drugs.

Moore said he also plans to gather support for his private member's bill
calling on the federal government "to classify date-rape drugs as weapons
in the Criminal Code, and to establish new national guidelines in the
collection and documentation of evidence in sexual assault.

"Awareness is the first line of defence for young people targeted by this
cowardly assault," Moore told students in a speech at Carleton University.

"Second is the strong arm of the law. Date-rape drugs shouldn't be treated
the same way in the Criminal Code as heroin or cocaine because they are
used to victimize other people, involuntarily.

"Young Canadians deserve better laws to protect them from sexual assault.
It's time for the federal government to step up to fight the cowardly use
of these drugs."

Forty-eight Canadian Alliance campus clubs across Canada are handing out
brochures on the dangers of date-rape drugs, and how to be protected from
them, Moore said in a news release.

Students are being asked to sign petitions encouraging the government to
classify date-rape drugs as weapons in the Criminal Code.

Both the petition and the brochure being handed out can be found at the
MP's website, www.jamesmoore.org.

Date rape drugs such as GHB and Rohypnol are easily slipped into drinks and
food.

Once ingested they act rapidly, rendering victims unconscious and
unresponsive with little or no memory of what happens while the drug is
active in their systems.

All traces of the drug can leave the body within 72 hours, and the drugs do
not show up in routine toxicology screenings or blood tests.