TACKLING OUR GROWING PROBLEM

The size of the grow-op problem in Chilliwack is astounding and should be a
concern for all of us who are not a part of what must surely be the city's
number one growth industry.

The safety of the community must be the prime concern here and it appears
that the city and the RCMP are moving quickly to address those issues. The
mayor and the police have announced additional resources and energy
allocated to fighting the problem.

Their concerns include increased violence in the community as gang and
criminal activity potentially take hold. They say they're worried about
drive-by shootings, some of which could be aimed at the wrong people. They
say they're worried about rival drug interests raiding each other's grow
ops and perhaps knocking on the door of an innocent family by mistake.

They're worried about the children who live in the homes where marijuana is
grown being exposed to the drug culture and the unhealthy and downright
dangerous conditions. They're worried about their volunteer firefighters
who take on a greater risk by stumbling on fires complicated by unsafe
electrical connections, chemicals and standing water.

We're all worried about the increased drug availability and the inevitable
pushing of marijuana onto the children in this community. RCMP Inspector
Bud Mercer said marijuana is not a soft drug-especially not today when the
active ingredient is up to five times stronger than it was 25 years ago.

Both Mercer and Mayor Clint Hames deflected reporters' questions about
decriminalization, saying Chilliwack, or even B.C., does not set the value
of the crop-it's the international community that does that and so
decriminalizing pot won't solve anything. The marijuana is also traded for
cocaine and other drugs, bringing additional, serious substance abuse
concerns into the community.

All of this doesn't sound much like Chilliwack-a sleepy, rural farming
community with a strong Christian backbone-does it? It appears we are
growing up quickly but not in the right direction.