Pubdate: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2008 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: Kerry Benjoe OTTAWA SAYS IT'S GETTING TOUGHER ON DRUG DEALERS The federal government is investing $8.9 million over the next two years to help quash Canada's illicit drug trade. Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day made the announcement under the National Anti-Drug Strategy on Friday at the RCMP 'F' Division headquarters. The RCMP and its partners will now have nearly $9 million in additional funding to help them detect, investigate, and take down criminal organizations involved in the production and sale of illicit drugs. "We are committed to safer streets and safer communities," said Day. "First and foremost responsibility of any level of government is the safety and security of its citizens." Day said the funding will target illicit drug producers such as grow ops, meth labs and other types of synthetic drugs. "A small dealer is just someone who wants to become a bigger dealer," he said. "When it comes to the production of certain types of drugs we want to send a clear message that there is zero tolerance." The government's National Anti-Drug Strategy takes a three-pronged approach. It focuses on reducing the supply and demand of illegal drugs as well as addressing the crime associated with illicit drugs. "We have also wanted to make it clear that we're going to have a strong message and strong action on the enforcement side and we've changed some laws to adapt to that," explained Day. Since October the government has made investments to strengthen Canada's borders to prevent the drugs from coming into the country and has brought forth legislation to introduce mandatory jail time for people who produce and sell illegal drugs. In addition the government has invested $7 million in communities across Canada to address youth drug use and $10 million over the next two years in a national prevention campaign aimed at young people and their parents. Day said any drug problem whether it's small or large is still a problem. "The destructive component of these drugs on individual lives and the effect that has on our communities is something that cannot be neglected and has to be taken seriously," said Day. The new tough-on-crime strategy being implemented is of concern to some organizations. "From our perspective as a human rights organization focused on HIV/AIDS issues it's a really problematic strategy," said Alison Symington, senior policy analyst for the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. "One of the key things that jumps out right away is that they are portraying it as getting tough on dealers and they are going to help addicts. But that's a really artificial distinction." Symington is particularly concerned with the government's plan to implement mandatory minimum sentences. "Mandatory minimum sentences have been shown to affect much low-level, street-level dealers, people who are distributing small amounts of drugs to support their own addictions. They don't really get at the kingpins or the big dealers who deal in large quantities," she explained. Symington said the strategy is a policy based on ideology and not evidence. She said prevention and treatment is much more effective than law enforcement. Symington said Canada only has to look at the U.S. to see that this type of drug strategy model does not work. "The drug problems in the U.S. have gotten worse and they have a huge population of non-violent offenders," said Symington. Ideally, she would like to see the government focus on drug treatment, prevention and harm reduction. "We want to make sure people understand what the government is saying is misleading and what they are proposing is ineffective," said Symington. "And do what we can to get this legislation changed and to have policies that are more effective and more protective of human rights enacted instead of policies we know are going to be ineffective." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek