Pubdate: Sat, 25 May 2002
Source: Guardian, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2002 The Guardian, Charlottetown Guardian Group Incorporated
Contact:  http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/174
Author: Mark Murphy

CANADA'S OTHER UNDECLARED WAR

Editor:

As Canadian troops fight terrorism in Afghanistan, we should declare a 
second war but within our own borders, on drugs. After a three-year study, 
the solicitor general announced that drugs and alcohol contribute to crime 
in this country. Was that a surprise to anyone?

As a former police officer, it's fair to say we knew that 35 years ago. The 
question that begs to be answered is what is the solicitor general and 
Parliament willing to do about it?

We know that drugs are destroying our nation. It's killing our kids at an 
alarming rate. It's turning our kids to prostitution and even suicide. 
People are being murdered for drug debts. It is responsible for the loss of 
millions of dollars through break and enters into homes and businesses. 
It's also responsible for health-care and drug-related program costs. The 
only answer is to declare war on drugs and those that reap the awards by 
trafficking in it.

When Canada was threatened with the FLQ crisis, we brought in the War 
Measures Act. I feel drugs are an even greater threat. How many of our kids 
have to die? Some say education is the answer but our kids know more about 
drugs than we as adults will ever know.

I strongly believe that we need a new act of Parliament called the Drug 
Enforcement Act. Police powers should be expanded to include powers to 
search any vehicle, person, place or thing likely to contain restricted, 
controlled or narcotic drugs. Give police open unrestricted access to 
wiretap and technical surveillance of suspected drug traffickers, make 
inclusion of new suspects automatic in the ongoing investigation.

Finally, anyone convicted of trafficking or conspiracy to traffic in 
illegal drugs receives a mandatory 20- year sentence with no chance of 
parole for 15 years. All assets owned by a convicted drug trafficker may be 
seized by the Crown and disposed of for payment of the cost of 
investigations. The Canadian Army may be utilized particularly for the 
take-down of large organizations such as bike gangs. With these laws in 
place it would take the joke out of trafficking in narcotics.

Mark Murphy

Georgetown
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