Series: The Drug Issue: Part Of 1 of 13

FEDERAL DRUG COMMITTEE HERE TO HEAR

Randy White has brought his Parliamentary Committee on the Non-Medical Use
of Drugs to Langley-Abbotsford to hear what local people have to say.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak out on the drug issue.

When Langley-Abbotsford MP Randy White made the motion last spring to form
a Parliamentary Committee on the Non-Medical Use of Drugs, he never
expected the House of Commons' unanimous support in forming it.

And now the committee is the first federal government body to look at the
drug issue in more than 30 years.

"I have fought for eight long years to have a parliamentary committee come
to our community to see first hand the problems that drugs have caused in
our prisons, our schools, our downtown cores, and in each one of our
lives," said White, the vice-chairman of the committee.

This week, that dream came true, as White's committee held hearings Monday
through Wednesday in Vancouver, and spent Thursday in the Fraser Valley,
touring facilities and holding public hearings.

"This is a true eye opener for those Members of Parliament who believe the
drug problems are limited to large, urban centres such as Vancouver,
Toronto, or Montreal," said White, the Canadian Alliance's caucus chairman.

Last month, White told The Advance News that it was important to him to
give the committee a chance to hear local people's perspectives.

"We want to hear from police, workers, organizations, educators, students,
families, parents, kids, everyone who wants to come and speak out," he said. "This is a chance for everyone to say their piece or forever hold it."

The committee's mandate is to study "the factors underlying or relating to
the non-medical use of drugs in Canada" and to make recommendations to
reduce "the dimensions of the problem involved in such use."

The group spent this week holding public hearings, visiting prisons, drug
rehabilitation centres, and halfway houses. It also met with leaders of
groups like Teen Challenge.

"This is truly democracy in action," said White. "I am sure that you will
see that many of the recommendations made by members of your own community
will be front and centre in this report. This is our chance to make a
difference in this ongoing drug problem."

The committee's report will be released next fall.

It's not too late for Langley residents to have their say. Written
submissions can still be sent to Carol Chafe, House of Commons-Room 605
Wellington Building, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6 or by e-mail to snud@parl.gc.ca.

More on the committee can be found at
www.parl.gc.ca/InfoComDoc/37/1/SNUD/Studies/References/SNUDTermsRef-e.htm.

In addition to Canadian Alliance MP Randy White, the committee includes:

Chairman Paddy Torsney, Liberal, Burlington, Ontario;

Carole-Marie Allard, Liberal, Laval East, Quebec;

Andre Bachand, Progressive Conservative-Democratic Representative
Coalition, Richmond-Arthabaska, Quebec;

Bernard Bigras, Bloc Quebecois, Rosemont-Petite-Patrie, Quebec;

Libby Davies, New Democrat, Vancouver East;

Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, Ontario;

Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beausejour-Petitcodiac, New Brunswick;

Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough-Rouge River, Ontario;

Real Menard, Bloc Quebecois, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve;

Stephen Owen, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra;

Jacques Saada, Liberal, Brossard-La Prairie, Quebec;

Kevin Sorenson, Canadian Alliance, Crowfoot, Alberta.