DRUG BREATHALYSER IN THE WORKS - EASTER

Marijuana law makes device necessary, says Solicitor General

The federal government is pursuing development of a breathalyser for illegal
drugs, the Solicitor General told a national conference in Halifax on Sunday
evening.

The initiative goes hand in hand with the government's upcoming marijuana
bill, Wayne Easter told a group gathered for opening ceremonies at a meeting
of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.

There is not yet a reliable, non-intrusive roadside method to test drivers
for drugs as there is for alcohol.

"The Mothers Against Drunk Driving have complained consistently - and that's
their right - about there not being a (drug) breathalyser in place," Mr.
Easter said.

The government's upcoming marijuana bill would make possession of up to 15
grams of pot a minor offence that would carry a fine but no criminal record.

With the new legislation, $910,000 would be set aside for public education,
better drug-detection training for officers, and research and development,
the Malpeque MP said during his 25-minute speech.

Part of that money would go toward developing a special drug breathalyser
for use in roadside stops.

Mr. Easter, a P.E.I. farmer before he was elected to Parliament in 1993,
assured the almost 800 gathered under a huge canvas tent on the Halifax
waterfront that such initiatives show that Ottawa is treating marijuana
seriously.

"We don't want our kids smoking marijuana," he said.

"We've had an anti-smoking campaign in terms of tobacco, and the strategy
here is to use funding to help."

The former Liberal backbencher, who replaced fellow Islander Lawrence
MacAuley as Solicitor General last October, said the government is relying
on the courts to follow along with its national drug strategy.

"We expect the courts to impose those penalties because they must if we are
to deal with those marijuana grow operations in a big and effective way."

Mr. Easter also said police have a big part to play.

"We have to recognize that, in Canada, the enforcement in terms of marijuana
laws across the country is not uniform, and we're hopeful that through this
bill . . . we'll bring some uniformity and consistency for laws across the
country and we hope that the law enforcement community will act on those
laws."

The MP congratulated the chiefs of police - and their organizations - for
their "pretty darn good" work and said Canadians should be proud of their
worldwide reputation for showing police officers respect and trust.

The government is keen to work with police organizations across the country
on key issues such as organized crime, border enforcement, citizen security,
Internet child pornography and the new threat of identity theft.

"We have to bring all parts of the justice system into a united front to
protect public safety," Mr. Easter said.

The Solicitor General's office is in charge of the RCMP, the Canadian
Security Intelligence Service, the Correctional Service of Canada and the
National Parole Board.