Pubdate: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) 3-a15d-9689faff761c Copyright: 2004 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: James Wood GOV'T PASSES ON SPECIFIC STRATEGY The NDP government has no plans to implement a specific strategy dealing with crystal methamphetamine. Learning Minister Andrew Thomson brushed off a demand by the Saskatchewan Party on Wednesday that the government follow the lead of Alberta and B.C. in developing an interdepartmental provincial strategy to combat the highly-addictive drug. "Our approach remains the same. Obviously we're concerned about crystal meth and other designer drugs but we're also concerned about the wide range of intoxicants that youth are involving themselves with," he told reporters at the legislature. Thomson said crystal meth use is not as prevalent in Saskatchewan as it is in the provinces to the west and the government should not pull resources from fighting other problems such as alcohol and solvent abuse. "I appreciate that many groups are saying we need to focus on this. That is one of the issues we need to deal with. But let's not fall into this trap that the Opposition tried to lead us into two years ago around Ecstasy abuse, saying that the raves and the modern music were driving young people to drug use. It was ridiculous," said Thomson. Saskatchewan Party MLA June Draude, who recently attended a conference in Alberta which focused on the drug, said the government should be getting ahead of the crystal meth issue precisely before it becomes as big a problem as in other provinces. "It's time the NDP realized the seriousness of this issue," she said. "We have an opportunity here to be proactive, to tell young people the dangers of it and not just them but the community." Methamphetamine is made in illegal labs by cooking up various chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Thomson said restrictions on pharmacies selling large quantities of the ingredients used for crystal meth are "a reasonable approach." Crystal meth has been added to the list of drugs that are discussed in schools as part of the province's anti-drug strategy, he added. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh