Online survey results to be discussed at Kelowna forum An Okanagan drug treatment agency is heading up a conversation about drug abuse among Central Okanagan youth. The Bridge Youth &Family Services in Kelowna, with support from the children and youth mental health and substance use local action team, want to initiate a dialogue about how to best serve young people who're experimenting with or are addicted to drugs. Jamie McGregor, program coordinator for youth detox and adult supported recovery, said problematic substance abuse has been an ongoing concern in the Central Okanagan now for decades, noting that last year 319 people under the age of 29 died of an opioid overdose in B.C. [continues 322 words]
Justin Pearson had to knock down some walls in his efforts to study the medicinal properties of marijuana at UBCO is putting it lightly. But the 22-year-old Lake Country resident wasn't going to take no for an answer. Not when his research was directly related to the treatment of his mother's cancer with cannabis oil and not when she had seen miraculous results from using the oil, derived from medicinal marijuana. "It wasn't easy," admitted Pearson this week as he awaited final test results of his research project, aimed at identifying the medicinal properties in different strains of marijuana and different times of growth. [continues 862 words]
If you receive medicinal marijuana through a licensed producer in Canada, the product will have been tested for its chemical make-up and to identify the compounds that are present in the product. But if you are purchasing product through a compassion club or a dispensary, the chemical make-up of the marijuana could be untested for quality. According to Keystone Laboratories in Edmonton, it's this testing that is crucial for the use of medicinal marijuana as a way for people to know what's in the medicine they are taking and to ensure they are taking high quality medicine each and every time they use it. [continues 293 words]
Cheryl Pearson has never smoked pot. Given just months to live after finally receiving a diagnosis of stage 4 ovarian cancer, the Lake Country resident was at first against the use of medicinal marijuana as part of her treatment. But after a tumultuous ride through Canada's medical system, which for nearly four years had misdiagnosed the reasons behind the rapid decline in her health, the impairment of her motor skills and the loss of use of her bodily functions, Pearson is now a believer in the controversial treatment. [continues 1027 words]
My recent columns on B.C.'s struggle with the growing westward migration of transients have produced responses that fall mainly into two groups. The largest is people relieved that somebody is questioning the urban media narrative. That's the one where drifters, drug addicts, welfare shoppers and thieves are the victims and working people, whose hard-earned communities are being degraded, are the problem because of their selfish, uncaring attitudes. Then there are readers so marinated in our nanny-state education, media and political system they object to anything other than a big-government response. They tend to ask, what's your solution, Tom? [continues 511 words]
One of the enduring legacies of Pierre Trudeau's time as prime minister is the legal supremacy of the individual, as articulated in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We are seeing this played out with greater force than ever today, by an activist high court that swatted aside Stephen Harper's attempts to restrain it, and now orders a meek, politically correct Justin Trudeau government to do its bidding. The Federal Court decreed last week that people have the right to grow their own "medical" marijuana. This ruling is unlikely to be appealed, given that Trudeau the Younger is committed to legalizing marijuana for everyone. [continues 500 words]
With unlicensed marijuana dispensaries popping up in urban areas and thousands of unregulated medical licences for home growing still in legal limbo, the Trudeau government is starting work on its promise to legalize recreational use. Marijuana was a media darling in the recent election, but meeting in Vancouver with provincial ministers last week, federal Health Minister Jane Philpott found herself preoccupied with issues deemed more urgent. These include shifting our post-war acute hospital model to community primary care, tackling aboriginal health care needs, pooling pharmaceutical purchases to slow rising costs, and meeting an urgent Supreme Court of Canada directive to legalize assisted dying. [continues 517 words]
To the editor: As a local organizer for Sensible BC and constituent of West Kelowna, I recently contacted the office of my MLA - Premier Christy Clark-regarding the election of the federal Liberals and the anticipated change to Canada's marijuana laws. As in my past correspondence with her office, I offered her the opportunity to discuss the issue with some of our own experts in the field. These include Ph.D. researchers, medical personnel, growers, patients and medical dispensary representatives. [continues 157 words]
On April 1, medical marijuana growing licences expire across the country, and only licensed commercial growers will be able to legally fill a prescription for pot. Ottawa is moving to clean up the mess it created by issuing medical licences all over the country. Since then, municipalities have complained that small-scale medical licences have been greatly exceeded, with many used as fronts for a criminal drug trade that has made B.C. infamous around the world. How big is the problem? There are about 38,000 Canadians licensed to carry marijuana for medical purposes, and half of them live in B.C. Their permission to grow their own or buy it from designated small-scale growers is withdrawn in a couple of months. [continues 496 words]
I won't be signing the "Sensible B.C." petition to demand a provincewide referendum on marijuana enforcement. You shouldn't either, and here are a few reasons why. Let me start by saying I've been calling for legalization and regulation of pot for 20 years, to conserve police resources and reduce violent crime. Our war on drugs is a failure even for heroin and cocaine, and marijuana is obviously much easier to produce. But the current effort led by Dana Larsen, B.C.'s clown prince of pot, is not only misguided, it's dangerous. [continues 516 words]
The mayor of Lake Country says he's pleased a resolution calling for the legalization of marijuana was adopted at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention last week. James Baker said the resolution was put to a show of hands on the convention floor, then subjected to an electronic vote count. "The vote was passed by a majority on the floor, and ended up with a 67 to 33 per cent vote in support," Baker said. He hopes the vote sends a message that the debate on the legalization of pot, and the whole idea of the so-called war on drugs, is given a review. [continues 221 words]
Local politicians are preparing for their annual convention, to be held Sept. 25 to 28 here in the provincial capital. One of the first orders of business this year will be a vote to raise the dues paid by local governments to the Union of B.C. Municipalities, to cover rising travel costs for staff to serve on provincial committees. The plan is also to change the name to Union of B.C. Local Governments, to reflect the participation of regional districts and aboriginal communities. [continues 530 words]
The call for legalization-or at least decriminalization-of marijuana in B.C. is getting louder. Recently eight B.C. mayors-including James Baker of Lake Country, Robert Sawatzky of Vernon, Chris Pieper of Armstrong, Howie Cyr of Enderby, John Ranns of Metchosin on Vancouver Island, Darrell Mussamotto of the City of North Vancouver, Burnaby's Derek Corrigan and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson-released a letter they had all signed calling on Victoria to tax and regulate the drug as a way to stop gang violence in this province and help make communities safer. [continues 385 words]
To the editor: I wasn't in the least bit surprised to read that Kelowna's mayor (Walter Gray) chose not to sign a letter in support of decriminalization of marijuana. (See Alistair Waters' column below.) After all, Kelowna is a right-leaning community, and he believes he needs to pander to his base. However, the mayors of towns like Lake Country and Vernon signed the letter, and their inhabitants aren't more liberal in their views than we are. It just appears these mayors are willing to take a progressive position on it. [continues 105 words]
Open letter to Premier Clark, Mr. Dix and Mr. Cummins: Re: Discussion required on marijuana policy. As mayors of B.C. municipalities, we are fully aware of the harms stemming from the province's large illegal marijuana industry. Our communities have been deeply affected by the consequences of marijuana prohibition including large scale grow ops, increased organized crime and ongoing gang violence. Increasing law enforcement costs also significantly impact municipal budgets. We see a seemingly endless stream of anti marijuana law enforcement initiatives in our communities, yet marijuana remains widely and easily available to our youth. Based on the evidence before us, we know that laws that aim to control the marijuana industry are ineffective and, like alcohol prohibition in the U.S. in the 1920s, have led to violent unintended consequences. [continues 573 words]
There was immediate province wide media interest in the April 26 letter signed by Mayor James Baker and the mayors of seven other communities regarding a new approach to the marijuana industry in British Columbia. In a two-page missive, the mayors acknowledge the tremendous harm the marijuana industry has on communities, the immense cost of the continued criminalization and the public health implications of current approaches. The letter supports the Stop the Violence Campaign and calls for the taxation and strict regulation of marijuana. [continues 299 words]
The 2011 fourth quarter crime stats report was presented by Lake Country Detachment RCMP Sgt. Scott Rempel, at the District of Lake Country Council regular meeting. The big news in the report was the spike in grow-op busts in the district while many other indicators were either flat or falling. Crime statistics for 2011 in Lake Country show an increase of 26 per cent over 2010. Grow-op busts increased both in number of seizures and total number of plants. There were 8,491 marijuana plants taken down in 2011 from diverse neighborhoods across the district including Lake Hill Drive, Powley Court, Okanagan Centre Road east, and Bond Road. [continues 194 words]
More than $100 million worth of electricity is stolen from BC Hydro every year, with much of it stolen to power marijuana grow ops. As an honest BC Hydro customer, it makes me more than just a little unhappy to know that people are stealing electricity. It makes me even more unhappy to know that the cost of all that stolen electricity gets added to the hydro bills of honest BC Hydro customers like you and me. That's why I'm glad BC Hydro is finally installing smart meters and putting an end to preventable electricity theft? Smart meters will let BC Hydro zero in on electricity theft quickly and accurately and shut down the perpetrators. The old mechanical meters BC Hydro has relied on since the 1940's and 1950's simply can't do that. All they can do is measure how much electricity has gone through them, and they only get checked manually every couple of months (long after the opportunity to catch electricity thieves has passed). [continues 92 words]
This week in Parliament our government introduced Bill C-10, omnibus crime legislation called the Safe Streets and Communities Act. It incorporates a number of crime and public safety bills that were introduced and debated in previous parliamentary sessions but were not passed before the last election. The main components of the bill are: The Protecting Children from Sexual Predators Act (former Bill C-54) which proposes increased penalties for sexual offences against children as well as creates two new offences aimed at conduct that could facilitate or enable the commission of a sexual offence against a child; [continues 582 words]
Sgt. Rick McIsaac, commanding officer for the Lake Country RCMP, delivered his detachment's 2009 year end report to council last week. Council was particularly concerned over the loss of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (D.A.R.E.) in elementary schools and was interested to learn more about what youth guidance initiatives would replace the program. McIsaac reminded council that the detachment would be gaining a twelfth member in April and that beginning in September, that officer would be a full time school liaison officer. The new position will put a full-time police presence in all four of Lake Country's schools with the intention of developing positive relationships between the community's youth and law enforcement. [continues 163 words]
With the help of the local RCMP grade five students at Oyama Traditional School have drawn a line in the sand against drinking and drugs. For the past several weeks students at the school have been learning how to use the D.A.R.E. decision making model to say 'no' to illegal substances. The D.A.R.E. curriculum (drug abuse resistance education) gets students talking about alcohol, marijuana and inhalants. It also discusses peer pressure and the role that it can play in leading a person towards making unhealthy or risky personal decisions. [continues 433 words]
Perhaps the strangest logic I have heard from left wing activists in Canada is that tough sentencing of drug dealers doesn't work. Somehow, they claim that mandatory minimum sentences for serious drug dealers will undermine our judges ability to hand down appropriate sentences. Most of us know that the drive-by and targeted killings we read about, particularly in the lower mainland, are drug related. We also know that our children are inundated with the opportunity to "try" these killer substances. Yet, our vocal activist would have us believe that the home "grow ops" are not really dangerous. These "grow ops" are just simple small time mortgage payment helpers. [continues 481 words]
Davidson Road Elementary grade five students have been prepared to deal with important life decisions regarding drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure after graduating from the RCMP taught D.A.R.E. program. D.A.R.E. stands for drug abuse resistance education and has been successfully taught across Canada to grade five students as a preventative measure to curb drug and alcohol use. On Tuesday, December 4th Davidson Road Elementary held a graduation ceremony for Mr. Smith's and Mrs. Tennant's classes who recently completed the course taught by Cst. Keber of the Kelowna RCMP. [continues 206 words]
Tom Fletcher makes the common mistake of confusing drug-related crime with prohibition-related crime in his Oct. 10th column. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase their criminal activity to feed their desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. The good news is that Canada has already adopted many of the common-sense harm reduction interventions first pioneered in Europe. The bad news is that Canada's southern neighbor continues to use its superpower status to export a dangerous moral crusade around the globe. The United States provides tragic examples of anti-drug strategies that are best avoided. [continues 96 words]
VICTORIA - The Interior town of Williams Lake has done a good job of highlighting the problem of "prolific offenders" in recent weeks. Instead of playing down its distinction as B.C.'s crime capital as previous honourees Surrey, New Westminster and North Vancouver have done before, Williams Lake Mayor Scott Nelson has used police statistics to tackle the problem head-on. He's put the message out forcefully that the numbers are driven by a handful of hardcore repeat offenders who, especially in a small town, can generate a crime wave all by themselves. But the same story could be told in communities around the province, and it's usually a story about what people will do to get drugs. [continues 518 words]
Heroin, cocaine, crack... these are all commonly known, highly addictive drugs that can quickly turn a person's life into a downward spiral through repeated use. Now, methamphetamine ("crystal meth" or "meth" for short), is causing renewed concern as it gains momentum in certain communities across Canada. It has enforcement agencies, social services, drug and alcohol control workers and other concerned citizens worried. Before coming to the Lake Country detachment, RCMP Sgt. Reg Burgess was a member of the Central Okanagan Crystal Meth Task Force and has seen the havoc meth can wreak. "It is such an ugly drug, we don't want it here at all," he says. [continues 431 words]
You've Had a Lifetime to Talk to Your Kids About Drug and Alcohol Abuse. What Are You Waiting For? It is a good question, one that all parents and guardians of children need to embrace and answer via appropriate action. A new provincial government initiative, which specifically targets Crystal Meth, is a proactive attempt to place the responsibility for preventing kids from taking the drug squarely on the shoulders of parents. It's a great initiative but it doesn't address the much bigger problem that exists in many BC communities, including Lake Country. That's the rapidly expanding use of marijuana and alcohol by our youth. [continues 130 words]
Conservative Party of Canada candidate Ron Cannan began his campaign for the Kelowna-Lake Country Member of Parliament seat Saturday outlining his parties platform to the conservative faithful Saturday. With crime, specifically drug related activity, a growing problem in this riding and throughout BC, the former City of Kelowna Councillor was quick to back leader Stephen Harper's strategy to fight crime head on. "It is time to stand up for British Columbians to protect our children from drug and substance abuse by getting tough on crime," said Harper, speaking at the Laurel Building during the parties' annual open house Saturday. "Stephen was in Vancouver this morning and announced that the conservative party of Canada will achieve this by not turning a blind eye to the problem but by introducing legislation that will number one ban conditional sentencing and house arrests for serious drug crimes. Number two, we will introduce mandatory minimum sentences of two years for criminals convicted of producing and trafficking drugs." [continues 362 words]
There's some good news and some bad news about drug use among students at George Elliot Secondary School. The good news, says principal Des Sjoquist, is that his school is just a microcosm of other schools in BC and Canada. "There are no more or no less kids using drugs at this school than any other school I've been an administrator at," he says. "Whether it was while I was in Mexico or in the city of Coquitlam drugs is becoming a universal problem." [continues 980 words]
While crime was on the rise in Lake Country in 2004, the number of RCMP officers working the beat locally dropped. Speaking at a regular meeting of council last Tuesday evening, RCMP Sgt. Dwayne Wetteland revealed that criminal code investigations jumped 37.7 per cent over 2003. At the same time, he says, the Lake Country detail operated two officers short, and sometimes three, due to illness and transfers. Therefore, only five or six officers were left to deal with mountains of paperwork relating to 1,113 criminal code files. [continues 843 words]
Lake Country residents, especially those in the Glenmore area, have nothing to fear from a proposed addiction rehabilitation centre that plans to set up shop in the area. At least, that's what representatives from Teen Challenge told community members last week at an information meeting they held after Mayor Rolly Hein asked them to address the issues and fears circulating in the community. While the Christian-based group is proud of the fact that their clients, or, as they refer to them, students, are free to leave the program at any time, they assured the residents that when a student does leave, they are escorted to the bus station or airport for return to their starting point. [continues 593 words]
To the Editor: I was saddened to learn about the reaction of the residents who are fearful over the possibility of a drug treatment centre locating near their neighbourhood. This "us four and no more" attitude reflects the materialistic climate of our society. Property values are more important than the wounded lives of people. These same people cry "crocodile tears" over the increase of drug addiction in our schools and community, declaring that "something should be done about it" as long as it isn't in "my quiet neighbourhood." [continues 217 words]
"I know I would like to be drug and violence free because I want to be healthy and have a successful life." This pledge was one of many made by the grade five students of Davidson Road Elementary School last week after their completion of the successful D.A.R.E. program. Drug Abuse Resistance Education, a program put on by the RCMP, has been part of the Davidson Road Elementary curriculum for five years. Facilitators of D.A.R.E. B.C. believe that soon this program will be offered to kids in grade five or six in every elementary school in the province. [continues 419 words]
Credibility is an important standard that the adults in our society must strive to attain if we are going to establish a more responsible society to pass on to our children. The old adage that encompasses some doubt in the minds of our youth could still be "do as I say and not what I do." A number of years ago, School District #23 officials came up with the idea of establishing drug free zones around all the schools in the district in order to help deter students from using drugs and or from having drug dealers who are caught abusing this zone suffer increased sentencing from the courts. Sounded pretty good on paper and no doubt frightened the dealers and students into complying and not using or buying and selling drugs in these "zones". Our kids had quite a laugh over that one and it became evident that the new rules were irrelevant with those they were designed to protect. [continues 351 words]
Something scary is on the horizon. Something much more chilling than any Halloween spook show you might have experienced over the weekend - because unlike Halloween gimmicks, this is real. Our children of tomorrow are being presented with a new choice drug one that's cheap and easy to find, and which dealers tell teens is "no sweat" compared to other chemical drugs. The prevalence of crystal meth in the Okanagan, and even within our community of Lake Country, is creating a need for awareness. [continues 1087 words]
Local RCMP have had to deal with 11 and 12-year-old children experimenting with marijuana before, but were shocked to learn that a local principal recently found the controlled substance in the possession of a "six or seven-year-old child. " Police received a call Monday detailing that the young unnamed student came to school with three "joints" and five regular cigarettes, said Constable Scott West. "I've never heard of or seen anything younger, nor has the principal, who is very experienced," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. [continues 250 words]
About 75 minutes into his presentation, Marvin Krank was at a loss for words. The OUC associate vice president was giving members of Lake Country Parent Advisory Committees an update on a student survey concerning drugs, alcohol, sex and violence. Earlier in the presentation, called Project on Adolescence Trajectories and Health (PATH), Krank stressed the importance of not losing credibility with your son or daughter. "Don't lie or exaggerate. Once they discredit the source, it's too late. If you don't know the answer, say you don't know. Don't lose your credibility," said Krank most emphatically. [continues 617 words]
It didn't take long, this year, for Lake Country RCMP to continue their campaign against marijuana grow operations. This year's first bust of a major marijuana grow-op in Lake Country netted a total of 701 plants, in various stages of maturity. Police executed a search warrant, under the controlled drugs and substances act, at 10330 Montebella Road in Winfield. Once inside, RCMP from Kelowna and Lake Country discovered a large-scale grow operation within the significantly modified rental house. A hydro bypass was used to gain access to free electricity and avoid detection. [continues 139 words]
Incidents involving the hospitalisation of George Elliot Secondary students ingesting the indigenous seed datura have scared other students straight. "I think it scared some people. But I don't know much about it," said a Grade 8 GESS student. "It's probably made people more afraid of taking anything," agreed another student who also did not try the seeds, which have hallucinogenic properties. "I'm terrified of doing any other drugs," said a third student during the lunch break. GESS Principal Mike Proch hopes to use the hospitalised student's experiences with the seeds as a way of keeping others from making the same mistake. He would like to have the students talk with classes about their trip to the hospital so their peers will realise what an unpleasant experience eating the seeds can be. [continues 334 words]
Some George Elliot Secondary students received some extremely bad information about the dangers associated with an indigenous seed known as "Datura" or "Loco Weed" as some are prone to call it. The flowering plant is also known as Angel's Trumpet; it's a native plant that grows throughout the valley. All parts of the plant can be poisonous. However, most that try the plant just eat the seeds. The effects of ingesting the seed can lead to hallucinations, increased heart rate, vomiting, blurred vision, pupil dilation and flushed hot skin. It can also lead to respiratory failure, coma and yes, death. [continues 201 words]
Emergency personnel responded to George Elliot Secondary Friday after a second student suffered the ill effects of ingesting an indigenous seed known as 'datura.' The youth was rushed to hospital Friday afternoon and was released Sunday from KGH. Principal Mike Proch says school staff was in the process of deciding how to handle this potentially lethal problem Monday. "We did have a student who came across some seeds. They're legal, but they do contain hallucinogenic properties. This person was acting peculiar by being hyperactive and having dilated pupils." [continues 150 words]
Despite having less RCMP officials on hand than expected, Oyama Elementary's Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) graduation went off quite well. Last week's kidnapping in Merritt apparently drew some scheduled RCMP members to the Nicola Valley. Constable Scott West, the local DARE coordinator, says there's usually a change in DARE graduate's perception of the program from when they start to when they complete it. "They start warming up to you after they realize I'm not there to tell them this or that," said West. [continues 257 words]
