Pubdate: Thu, 27 Mar 2003
Source: Carillon, The (CN MB)
Copyright: 2003 The Carillon
Contact:  http://www.thecarillon.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2340

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.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom