LOCAL DRUG PROBLEM FINALLY ADMITTED

Dear Sir:

Mayor Les Magnusson is leading a community effort to deal with the growing
problem of street drugs. He arranged a meeting last Wednesday night
including city and school representatives, police and youth workers.

Mayor Magnusson says it is quite obvious that many of the crimes within the
city are drug related. He notes drugs are quite readily available in the
city and many people do not realize that.

Well...finally some recognition, publicly from city council! (drugs are
quite readily available in the city and many people do not realize that)

Public intoxication by anyone is a crime. Providing cigarettes to anyone
under 18 is a crime. Providing alcohol to anyone under 18 is a crime.
Possession of any street drugs is a crime. These crimes are happening on a
daily basis at the regional school, and must be stopped. The drug problem
in the school is by far, worse than some inner-city Winnipeg schools due to
its going unaddressed for so many years.

There is a huge drug trade in Steinbach. The drugs readily encountered in
Steinbach are alcohol, marijuana, hash/hash oil, cocaine/crack (angel
dust), PCP, peyote/mescaline, and snorted Ritalin (Methylphenidate). Most
of these drugs have long ago found their way into many Steinbach schools,
but the problems and severity have escalated in recent years.

How many substance-related suspensions have occurred in Steinbach's schools
this school year alone? I've hear several rumors that it is in the 100s. I
wouldn't be at all surprised at that number.

I'm very happy to hear that the mayor is aware and looking at addressing
this issue. I'm sure the RCMP had a hand in opening the eyes of council to
make it public. The RCMP have been doing a great job at beginning to
address this and bring it out to the public. It is sad that is has taken so
long that drug related crimes are now so common.

I am constantly amazed at how much of an ostrich approach some schools,
school divisions, community and media have taken with this huge problem and
I hope this is a sign of dramatic changes. How many need to end up in
hospital from drugs, laced marijuana, laced alcohol, or drunk driving
accidents! Just in the last few years, how many from our community have
died, and how many more have been taken to hospital? Rumors circulating say
that teens who are taken to hospital with convulsions, blackouts, and
sometimes coma, are having a bad reaction to marijuana, but this is not
consistent with any reaction to marijuana.

These serious affects are more consistent with much worse street drugs, and
very consistent with the readily available marijuana which is laced with
PCP. Marijuana and cigarettes are often laced with serious street drugs
like PCP and crack cocaine.

This is a huge undertaking since the problems have been relatively
unaccepted for so long, that having gone on so long, some of our
communities teens and young adults are now crack addicts. This is one of
the worst addictions and can occur with a single use, and with that
addiction comes the need to feed the addiction, which then leads the lost
addicted person to commit crimes to have readily available cash to feed the
addiction. How, as a community have we allowed it to come to this?

For those who have the thought that these drugs have nothing to do with the
good families of this community, I'll argue, that anyone living, working,
or attending school in Steinbach, are people of the community. United, we
can support this effort to get this problem under control. No community
will ever be drug-free, but with a united effort, we can work towards that,
and save more of our communities youth from falling victim.

Signs of drug use: Physical fatigue, repeated health complaints, red and
glazed eyes, and a lasting cough. Personality change, sudden mood changes,
irritability, irresponsible behavior, low self-esteem, poor judgment,
depression and a general lack of interest. Starting family arguments,
breaking rules or withdrawing from the family. Decreased interest in
school, negative attitude, drop in grades, many absences, truancy and
discipline problems. New friends who are less interested in standard home
and school activities, problem with the law, and changes to less
conventional styles in dress and music.

What is the most dangerous drug? It depends on what is meant by the word
"dangerous". If it means the drug that causes the most physical harm
(illness and death) for the most people, then that would be cigarettes. If
it means the drug that contributes to the most social harm (failure, loss,
anxiety, etc) for the most people, then that would probably be alcohol. If
it means the drug that in relatively moderate doses is the most physically
toxic or poisonous and has the greatest potential for causing cell damage
or resulting in death from overdose, then it might be heroin, barbiturates,
solvents or cocaine.

C. Lauze

Steinbach, MB