DRUG FORUM A GOOD START

It has hardly been a secret that a wide variety of illegal drugs is readily
available in Steinbach and area. In fact, they have been easy enough to buy
for many years. What was not as obvious is a public recognition by
community leaders that drug use and availability in this area are likely as
common as in many larger urban centres. That all seems to have changed with
a meeting last week called by Mayor Les Magnusson to bring together
representatives of the various agencies and organizations working with
young people.

The mayor made it clear he wants something done about drug use,
distribution and the resulting criminal behavior often associated with
drugs. He says the community will no longer put up with the status quo,
that many residents feel unsafe in their homes. He asked the various
spokesman ranging from school principals and public health nurses to youth
leaders and police officers to speak plainly about their experiences.

And many did. A senior RCMP officer said teens have told him many drugs are
easier to obtain in Steinbach than alcohol. School officials spoke of the
problems they encounter in their hallways and classrooms. A youth leader
drove home the point that parents play a critical role in the issue of
young people and drugs, and talked about a new program underway in
Steinbach specifically for parents. At the very least, the nearly three
dozen people at the forum recognized that there is a problem. The next
steps, many suggested, are not quite as certain.

Getting community leaders to admit there is a problem may be one of the
most positive steps taken to date. Police, for example, for years have said
the drug problem has not been taken seriously enough in Steinbach, that
parents and institutions such as schools have been in a state of denial for
the longest time. They point out that as Steinbach and the region continue
to grow, the drug culture has grown right alongside just as it has in
larger urban centres where prevention and discipline programs have in
effect for many years.

Indeed, Steinbach long ago lost its small town flavor and with it the
relative immunity its residents had enjoyed from the social and criminal
problems often accompanying drug use. Mayor Magnusson is right in asking
people to open their eyes to the problem as a first step to finding
solutions. His efforts and those of all the other agencies and groups
deserve support from the wider community, most especially the parents of
young people.