Pubdate: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 Source: Chilliwack Progress (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 The Chilliwack Progress Contact: http://www.theprogress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/562 Author: Robert Freeman Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada) 'CHEAP POLITICAL SHOT' NO SOLUTION TO METH PROBLEM, SAYS LES B.C. New Democrats say Solicitor General John Les's "tough talk" for the new Conservative government on battling the crystal meth problem rings hollow when compared to the provincial government's underfunding of solutions here. "This deadly epidemic is devastating families in British Columbia," NDP public safety critic Jagrup Brar says in a news release. "I am calling on the Campbell Liberals and the Solicitor General to stop talking tough, and take action to properly address the deadly drug, and break the addiction cycle. "Mr. Les cannot simply pass the buck to the Conservative government in Ottawa, he must take ownership," Brar says. Les says that he's "encouraged" the NDP MLAs have finally noticed there is a crystal meth problem, since they have yet to raise the issue in the legislature or attend any of the community forums on crystal meth abuse sponsored by his ministry. "If they're as interested as they claim to be, why aren't they engaged in the issue," he says. NDP Mental Health critic Charlie Wyse says in the release that B.C. "lacks treatment beds for those kicking the habit" and that detox programs need more funding. "While other provinces lead Canada in treatment and prevention, B.C. continues to lag behind despite the fact that the crystal meth epidemic is largest here," he says. But Les says Premier Gordon Campbell has put the province "at the forefront" of the fight against crystal meth, equalled only by Saskatchewan. The province has committed $2-million toward stemming crystal meth abuse with a series of community forums and other measures aimed at education and prevention, and created a special secretariat charged solely with focusing on crystal meth, he says. "We're the only province that has a crystal meth secretariat to focus on this issue," he says. Les also adds that "grassroots" community-driven treatment solutions in "residential settings" may work better than simply paying for more detox beds in a clinical setting, because withdrawal from crystal meth is "different" than heroin and cocaine. "We all need to put our shoulder to the wheel, and some cheap political shot from the NDP hasn't got anybody off crystal meth," he says. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom