Editor; As a former drug and alcohol abuse counsellor, I applaud any effort to shut down drug houses. As a landlord of two rental properties, I feel there has to be some changes to the Landlord Tenants Act and more cooperation between landlords, bylaws and RCMP. Bylaws need to have the power to go in unannounced to houses landlords' feel are used as drug houses. We have, in the past seven years, had to address drug involvement in both our rental houses. Our calls to RCMP brought no response. The tenants' calls to the rentalman's office brought immediate response. [continues 84 words]
VICTORIA - The solution to rampant property crime, armed robberies and street-level drug dealing lies in a community-based system of justice, not in stiffer jail sentences for repeat offenders, B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal says. Speaking at a recent Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce lunch, Oppal said drug-related crime is a social problem that has to be addressed by the community, not just the legal system. "We can't let the judges be out there all alone solving these problems," he said. [continues 285 words]
Surrey is dropping the hammer on drug houses, declaring them uninhabitable until inspections are conducted and any needed repairs are complete. The initiative comes as part of the city's new Controlled Substance Property Bylaw presented to council Jan. 30. The bylaw was endorsed unanimously. Homeowners whose property is used for illegal drug operations will now be hit in the pocketbook as strict new measures will be required before the home can be resold. Once the city determines a home has been altered, electrically or structurally, to make it suitable for marijuana grow operations or meth labs, it will be off limits to occupancy. [continues 214 words]
Surrey Task Force Urges Retailers To Beware Of Illicit Purchases A local methamphetamine task force hit the streets Monday to alert retailers about potentially dangerous products they sell. Crystal methamphetamine, or meth, is an increasingly popular, highly addictive and deadly drug. It's cooked up in home labs, made from substances available at pharmacies and hardware stores. Two of the active ingredients, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, are contained in cough and allergy medicine. Other ingredients and tools are available at hardware stores, including camping fuel, acetone and red phosphorous. [continues 341 words]
Campaigns Aim To Limit Sales Of Chemicals It may get harder for dealers to manufacture a deadly street drug, as Surrey's methamphetamine task force approaches retailers about potentially dangerous products on their shelves. In the next month, task force chair Bruce Hayne will be working with others to educate retailers about "reactants" and "precursor drugs" used to make crystal methamphetamine. The precursors, including ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, are commonly found in cold and allergy medicines and can be used to make methamphetamine, an increasingly popular, highly addictive street drug. [continues 397 words]
When It Comes To Meth, Logic, Reason Are Out The Window Meth labs in basements. Bony boys scratching scabs. Headlines claiming "One hit and hooked for life." Megalomania. Hallucinations. Psychosis. With the fury of methamphetamine fear flying in the media, you have to wonder who's having the 'psychotic episode,'drug users or the rest of us. Clearly, logic and reason have flown out the window when it comes to meth. The same holds true for other psychoactive substances, from alcohol to heroin to crack cocaine. [continues 569 words]
Russ Hiebert's dire warning that a "crisis of crime" is sweeping Surrey doesn't add up, according to police and the city's new mayor. Hiebert played the crime card earlier this week at a Newton press conference, saying Conservative candidates are the only ones fit to combat rampant criminal activity here. "Crime is out of control in Surrey with street racing, grow houses and shootings," Hiebert claimed. But that alarmist view isn't backed by police statistics, and it's a view Mayor Dianne Watts maintains just isn't the case. [continues 399 words]
A new tool has been deployed in the battle against crystal methamphetamine use. Fraser Health Authority has released a 156-page manual titled A Community Guide: Strategies and Interventions for Dealing with Crystal Methamphetamine and Other Emerging Drug Trends. It can be downloaded from FHA's website ( www.fraserhealth.ca/HealthInfo/MentalHealth/AddictionServices ). The guide provides information about programs and strategies to counter meth use. Sections range from effects and dangers of meth to withdrawal symptoms and treatment. Among adults, crystal meth was the fourth drug of choice behind alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, the guide says. Among youth, meth is third behind marijuana and alcohol. [end]
A website intended to help make Surrey schools safer has resulted in dozens of tips from teens and kids - most of whom have become fast fans of the anonymous online resource. "This site rocks," wrote one student. "What I mean is it shows reality ... what's going on with Surrey and with other schools. I really like the way you made me feel that I have some place to go if something's not going right at school and I'm not comfortable talking to the principal. [continues 348 words]
The number of Surrey murder and manslaughter cases is the highest it's been since 2001, the year the city set an all-time record with 18 homicides. As of Friday, 20 homicide cases had been recorded, but one relates to a 2004 incident and two deaths have not yet been confirmed as murders. That leaves 17 cases in 11 months, a worrisome number as far as Staff Sgt. Brian Cantera, an investigator with the regional Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, is concerned. [continues 158 words]
Lower Mainland Detachments Pitch in to Fund, Staff Full-Time SWAT An integrated emergency response team set to launch in April is getting high marks from White Rock's top cop. Staff Sgt. Tom Forster said the dedicated unit - available 24 hours a day, seven days a week - will improve safety for general duty Mounties by ensuring elite officers are available for high-risk arrests - something White Rock is seeing more and more of. "It's going to be a lot better for us. It's going to be safer for a lot of reasons," Forster said. [continues 502 words]
The battle against crystal meth could leave B.C. cold sufferers with fewer places to buy medicine for runny noses and coughs. Large sales of cold medications that could be used to make meth will be more tightly monitored by the province in the first plank of a new program. Solicitor General John Les admitted most meth labs use bulk commercial imports to get the chemical precursors they need - they don't usually buy them at pharmacies or grocery stores. "While it's rare for them to use over-the-counter drugs, we want to be as thorough as possible," he said. [continues 134 words]
A 10,000-name petition calling for tougher penalties for people using date-rape drugs was tabled in Parliament by Conservative MP James Moore. On International Women's Day, Moore, MP for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam launched a university and college campus campaign to gain support to enact tougher laws against date-rape drugs. "Date-rape drugs have become a menace to women," Moore said. Typically date-rape drugs are secretly slipped into drinks or food; once ingested they act rapidly, rendering the victim unconscious and unresponsive with little or no memory while the drug was active. Traces of the drug can leave the body within 72 hours and often do not show up in routine toxicology or blood tests. Although these drugs are controlled substances like heroin and cocaine, possession is almost never met with jail time, and penalties are light, Moore said. Moore has a Private Member's Motion (M-189) before Parliament, which recommends GHB and Rohypnol, the most common date-rape drugs, be identified in the Criminal Code under a separate schedule as "date-rape drugs" with new, tougher penalties. The motion would establish a national initiative to educate women on the dangers of date-rape drugs and related substances; and create a national task force to establish guidelines for collection and documentation of evidence in sexual assault cases. [end]
Premier Pledges $7 Million To Combat 'Dirty, Filthy Drug' VANCOUVER - Premier Gordon Campbell brought his chequebook to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention Thursday, announcing $7 million in new funds to combat crystal meth addiction, and a boost to provincial grants for small rural communities. Calling meth a "dirty, filthy drug" that permanently wrecks people's lives and health, Campbell told a capacity crowd of civic politicians that $2 million of the money will go directly to municipalities to support their own programs, patterned after successful initiatives like the "meth-kickers" program in Kamloops. [continues 353 words]
It could get tougher to make crystal meth, as police, fire department and community groups work to choke off availability of the drug's ingredients. An increasingly popular drug among youth, crystal methamphetamine is easy to make, with most ingredients available at stores. Ingredients, known as precursors, are the target of the Crystal Meth Task Force, which has been granted $10,000 from Surrey council to educate retailers on how to restrict supplies to make the drug. The province and federal governments are willing to help fund the project. [continues 115 words]
Editor; Re: Decision disappoints (Peace Arch News, Aug. 9) Doug M. Towie was quoted; "I am both dismayed and angered by the Canadian Government's decision to proceed with extradition to the U. S. of Marc Emery and company, for selling cannabis seeds." I do not know if a time will ever come when society has no need for rules to keep the peace, when borders will no longer exist between nations; but until that time I suggest it would be counter-productive and irresponsible to tie the hands of law enforcement agencies. [continues 92 words]
Surrey School District has a number of new initiatives this year, including five positions to tackle substance use among youth. District spokesman Doug Strachan said the substance use liaison program, a first for Surrey, will offer youth and families support through education, referrals and monthly "connection" meetings for parents. "They have extensive experience working with youth," he said. "They'll be able to provide resources for families, and not just students." Spearheaded by safe schools manager Theresa Campbell, the program will have close association with Surrey RCMP. [continues 242 words]
It must be the heat. Or in these shallow days of summer, when city councils and councillors have so little on the agenda they barely meet monthly, have we resorted to conjuring dragons to slay? White Rock is sniffing about with the anti-smoking crusaders again, following the scent laid by the City of Vancouver. There, councillors are huffing and puffing in response to the haughty harumphs of do-gooders who can't abide the whiff of second-hand smoke on patios, and - egad - doorways. [continues 321 words]
I am both dismayed and angered by the Canadian Government's decision to proceed with the extradition to the U.S. of Marc Emery and company, for selling cannabis seeds. The terms of the extradition treaty require that the act be illegal in both countries. If, in fact, it is illegal in Canada then, as the defendants are Canadian citizens and the offence took place in Canada, they should be tried in Canada. If it is not illegal, extraditing them to the U.S. to face a punishment of 10 years to life is akin to extraditing a Canadian citizen to Saudi Arabia for shipping beer to that country. Doug M. Towle White Rock [end]
The forces of anti-Americanism are in full throat after the arrest of B.C. Marijuana Party leader Marc Emery to stand trial in Seattle for selling seeds by mail-order. The hard left in Kamloops (yes, there is one) sees the sinister hand of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney at work. In a letter to Kamloops This Week, Gary Williams muses that Canadian Gen. Rick Hillier's recent Donald Rumsfeld-style talk about whacking terrorists may be part of a pattern with this sudden crackdown on pot. [continues 548 words]
Criminals smuggling drugs, guns, money and people across the border by land, air and water are keeping Canadian and U.S. authorities busy. But once largely unfettered as they skimmed the international boundary under the dark of night, and under the radar, perpetrators are finding it increasingly difficult to ply their illegal trades. Partnerships between the two countries' law enforcement agencies are getting stronger. Integrated Border Enforcement Teams have been invaluable" in tackling cross-border crime, Pacific region IBET's Const. Dale (Jeep) Johnstone said Thursday. [continues 184 words]
A Surrey judge who says the courts see far too many grow op cases slapped a jail term on a first-time offender who quit a well-paying job to set up a marijuana greenhouse in North Delta. What was an epidemic has become a plague," Surrey Provincial Judge John Lenaghan wrote in his reasons for sentencing Vancouver resident Keith Gordon Wallis to 15 months in jail. Wallis, 31, had no criminal record when Delta Police raided the grow op he was running inside a house in the 11000 block of 81A Avenue in February of 2003. Wallis pleaded guilty to unlawful production of marijuana last year. [continues 90 words]
Authorities Require More Power, Control Editor; Re: Safe injection sites poked (Peace Arch News, June 22) I worked extensively in the addictions field. I have seen it all, from the downtown east side to Whalley. I still do not have the answers. I recently returned from a trip to Europe to research a military reunion. I was the guest of the mayor of Faulquemont. I was in more bars than in the previous 10 years. Used their public transit system. What was apparent was the lack of drunks, addicts, panhandlers and homeless. I took my questions to the mayor. I wanted to know where they were. [continues 145 words]
Council, Residents, Hail Decision To Continue EFSI Initiative Water seeping down her walls, a persistent skunky smell, and frightening" people coming and going in the middle of night are just some of the impacts a marijuana grow operation is having on one woman's life. This is no way to live," the 65-year-old Kennedy Heights resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. She expressed relief after learning about a program led by city staff, RCMP and the fire department to shut down grow operations. [continues 353 words]
Safe injection sites have been shown to reduce the spread of HIV without increasing drug use. They also serve as a bridge to drug treatment for an especially hard-to-reach population. Drug users are not the only beneficiaries. Look no further than the United States for tragic examples of anti-drug strategies which are best avoided. U.S. Centers for Disease Control researchers estimate 57 per cent of AIDS cases among women and 36 per cent of overall AIDS cases in the U.S. are linked to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs. This easily preventable public health crisis is a direct result of zero-tolerance laws that restrict access to clean syringes. Can Canada afford to emulate the harm maximization approach of the former land of the free and current record holder in citizens incarcerated? Robert Sharpe Washington [end]
Editor; Re: Victoria next to get a shoot-up sight (Peace Arch News, June 8) Tom Fletcher has the wrong end of the needle when he talks about safe injection sites. I know they are designed to make it safer for the junkie to shoot up, but I don't believe this is their real purpose. This site got going because of public pressure to get junkies off the streets and into a controlled environment where it would be safer for them to harm themselves. I don't think they have gone far enough to accomplish their real objective (stated or not), which is to make streets appear safer to the public. [continues 146 words]
Victoria is the second city in B.C. to get in line for the brave new world of "safe injection sites," as they are persistently referred to in the mainstream media. If it goes ahead, our quaint old capital will also be the second city in Canada to embrace this trendy European strategy. Or North America for that matter, since so far only Vancouver has taken the plunge. Once this questionable bit of social engineering spreads to two cities, look for it to pop up in other B.C. communities that have a significant hard drug problem, which is to say most of them. [continues 481 words]
The pot party is taking Surrey School Board to court. The B.C. Marijuana Party is suing the board for barring its candidates from participating in high school all-candidate meetings. "We feel the targeted exclusion of the B.C. Marijuana Party is anti-democratic. We think it sends a bad message to students and we think it violates the Charter (of Rights)," campaign manager Kirk Tousaw said. The suit was filed in B.C. Supreme Court May 13. In light of the litigation, the district would not comment, but Doug Strachan said two weeks ago Marijuana Party candidates were initially allowed to attend school debates, but had to be excluded after a candidate distributed material promoting pot use after a meeting at Fraser Heights Secondary. [continues 164 words]
Altaf Merali, the South Surrey customs officer who allegedly tried to smuggle 227 pounds of pot into the United States, has been "relieved of his duties" with Canada Border Services Agency. However, Canada customs won't confirm if the accused dope smuggler is still on the payroll, and there's a chance he could get his job back. "He's been relieved of duties pending the results of our investigation," CSBA's Paula Shore said. "The point we have to remember is he's innocent until proven guilty." [continues 160 words]
B.C. Marijuana Party candidates won't be allowed to participate in all-candidates meetings at Surrey schools. Amanda Boggan, who's representing the Marijuana party in Surrey-Green Timbers, was invited to attend a political debate for students at Queen Elizabeth Secondary Wednesday. However, she was contacted by a student organizer the night before and asked not to show up. "I was a bit stunned. I've never been disinvited to anything in my life," Boggan said. "I got off the phone and felt like a bad person for a while, and then realized it was actually detrimental to the students' education about the electoral process for certain parties to be excluded." [continues 326 words]
A 37-year-old customs officer from South Surrey allegedly flashed his badge at his U.S. counterparts as he tried to smuggle 227 pounds of pot across the border Tuesday. Altaf Merali was arrested after he drove his van with his Canada Customs uniform hanging in a rear window up to the U.S. side of the border customs line, according to a sworn statement filed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer Michael Donley. However, a U.S. Customs computer program that randomly selects vehicles for secondary inspections singled out Merali's van. [continues 354 words]
It wasn't a scam. Tony Adams said his recent classified ad in The Peace Arch News offering to train potential Marijuana Party candidates as medical marijuana growers was legitimate. Back in March, RCMP investigated the legality of the ad, after someone complained, and warned the public to be wary. Monday, Adams, a 57-year-old former logger and salesman, surfaced as a candidate for the Marijuana Party of B.C. in Surrey-White Rock. [continues 287 words]
RCMP, Schools Team Up With Parents In Escalating Effort To Save Children Chelsea Norris was only 13 when she tried crystal meth for the first time. She'd been told it would help her lose weight. Boost her confidence. She'd be skinny and popular. Little did she know her crash diet would turn into a four-year addiction. Just about to turn 19, Norris is a recovering addict who counts herself among the lucky ones able to beat the drug - thanks to treatment, and support from her mom. [continues 951 words]
White Rock RCMP are again advising residents to beware of scams, after a complaint about an ad seeking marijuana growers. Const. Raina Siou said last week she is investigating a classified ad which appeared in The Peace Arch News. It read: 'PARTI Marijuana Party. Seeking electoral candidates in every district to operate Medicinal Cannabis Home Delivery. Will train growers for patients. Highest quality. Lowest Price.' It included a Cloverdale phone number. Siou said the complainant contacted the advertiser because he was interested in becoming a grower for a friend who uses medicinal marijuana. [continues 449 words]
People charged with crimes may lose their property if they can't prove it was bought with legally gained money. Legislation introduced in Victoria last week will eventually allow government to seize goods believed to have been bought with ill-gotten profit. The proposed legislation is causing concern on the part of B.C. Civil Liberties Association. Known as "civil forfeiture," the legislation could be enacted by fall and goods could be seized soon thereafter, B.C. Solicitor General Rich Coleman said. [continues 221 words]
Forster White Rock's Staff Sgt. Wants Citizens To Lobby For Tougher Penalties Heads bowed and eyes down, they brushed tears from their cheeks while standing semi-circle around a makeshift shrine at White Rock's RCMP detachment. On a table underneath the Maple Leaf hanging limp at half staff, faces of four fallen officers stared stoically into the solemn crowd, made up of fellow Mounties in Red Serge and auxiliary police officers, firefighters and customs officers, city officials and a few citizens. [continues 346 words]
It's lights out for grow ops in Surrey. The province, city and B.C. Hydro are set to announce a new initiative that could shut power down to homes with marijuana grow ops in Surrey. In the works for some time, city crews-including fire and electrical inspectors-will perform preliminary inspections regarding power consumption, electrical permits and exterior improvements. If a grow op is suspected, RCMP, the fire department and an electrical inspector will knock on the door. If there's no answer (as will be the case in most grow ops) a 72-hour notice will be placed on the door demanding inspection, and if one isn't allowed, power to the home will be cut off. [continues 282 words]
Stark Video A Look At Reality The open sores, naked, emaciated bodies, and incessant babbling show and tell just a fraction of the chaos surrounding crystal meth. Death by Jib, a video released this week by Peace Arch Community Services, was produced to show youth the reality of the drug, and its impact. "Your brain just turns into f...in' mush," Chris Reimer, an Abbotsford youth, said on the video. "I'm in school right now, I'm 19, and I'm still doing Grade 8 work." [continues 512 words]
The president of the B.C. Marijuana Party has set his sights on challenging Solicitor General Rich Coleman in the May 17 election. Marc Emery plans to run in Fort Langley-Aldergrove against the B.C. Liberal MLA because, "Even though the public wants to reform our marijuana laws, the solicitor general is pushing for draconian U.S.-style drug war tactics that don't work in the U.S. and won't work for Canadians." Emery's party, established in 2001, garnered three per cent of the popular vote in the last election, with a full slate of candidates in the province. [continues 80 words]
Chelsea Norris wakes up every morning reaching for a hit of the crystal meth she once stashed in her night table. She's still terrified of the dark; she hears voices that aren't there, and people who aren't around. She's haunted by memories of trying to suffocate her dog, of attacking her mother with a rake, and introducing friends to a drug many still can't get away from. She can't be around those friends any more, because she can't help them. They have to help themselves, just like she did 18 months ago. [continues 641 words]
Chelsea Norris' story is among the more positive tales featured on Kiss of Death, a 15-minute documentary on the dangers of crystal meth use. It's a project of Peace Arch Community Services' Addiction Services. "It will definitely be graphic. It will likely have a dead body," PACS' addictions manager Kevin Letourneau said of the script. The subject matter comes straight from the street-from the mouths of teens and adults whose lives have been impacted by crystal meth. "The things they say are pretty disturbing. One (interviewee) said you can wake up (from a meth crash) with some naked man on top of you. [continues 242 words]
Langley RCMP made the largest cocaine seizure in recent B.C. history Sunday, after a Quesnel man crashed his car through the Pacific Highway border crossing and was arrested in Aldergrove. Police discovered 149 kg of cocaine in a rented car. The street value of the bricks of cocaine is estimated at $12 million. "It's no doubt linked to organized crime," Cpl. Dale Carr said. "It's only organized crime that has that kind of funding to move that much product." [continues 129 words]
An innovative Italian drug treatment model is being considered for the Lower Mainland. San Patrignano is a residential drug rehabilitation centre in northern Italy that began when one man, Vincenzo Muccioli, welcomed a group of drug addicts into his home in 1978. Today, Muccioli's dream has grown into the largest drug rehab centre in Europe, serving 1,800 'guests.' Services at San Patrignano are free. The only condition to enter is a desire to face and overcome addiction. San Patrignano is a long-term social and education program focusing on dignity, honesty, responsibility and respect. Some guests stay as long as four years. [continues 222 words]
MP Russ Hiebert won't support the federal government's latest attempt to decriminalize marijuana, saying he prefers the status quo. The Conservative MP believes Bill C-17, introduced in the House of Commons this week, will encourage young people to do drugs, and is too lenient on traffickers. "This bill is fundamentally flawed because it indirectly endorses behaviour we don't want to be endorsing in society," the South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale MP said. "(Bill C-17) basically makes it equivalent to a parking ticket or a speeding ticket." [continues 121 words]
Editor; Regarding the marijuana cafe on Commercial Drive, drug dealers should never be entitled to $65,000 tax-free from profits on their premises while our impoverished health system is run dry. Why is it drug dealers are applauded by the public while RCMP are heckled trying to keep Vancouver from being overrun by criminal activity? Vancouver's crime rate and population continue to rise, and it's time for decent people who don't smoke or deal drugs to also take a stand. [continues 100 words]
VICTORIA - It's hard to see the people who run the Da Kine pot shop as criminal masterminds. The little store on Vancouver's Commercial Drive has been the city's most famous site for two weeks. Hundreds of hours of police time, lots of media, police and politicians running to and fro, all for a small store that's committed the crime of selling marijuana. No doubt it was a good business, especially once the media told everybody about the opportunity. When police-30 of them-finally raided Da Kine, they scooped up $63,000. [continues 552 words]
A concentration of drug and alcohol treatment services is forming along the southern edge of Surrey Memorial Hospital. Maple Cottage Detox, formerly in New Westminster, is moving to a three-acre parcel on 94A Avenue. It will have detox beds for 30 clients, six of those reserved for youth 18 and younger. Addictions experts and social service providers have long said Surrey needs detox facilities. Maple Cottage offers medically supervised detox, the most intensive available outside a hospital setting. Once in the detox, an on-duty physician prescribes medication for withdrawal management, then patients are monitored by nurses and other staff. [continues 366 words]
Study looks to unlock secrets of youth hooked on drugs, alcohol What kinds of drugs are teen addicts using? Are they on the street or living at home? When did they first try their drug of choice? These and other secrets of drug and alcohol addiction in 12- to 18-year-olds will be explored in a Fraser Health Authority study undertaken this week. Alcohol and drug abuse among youth is a growing concern in the Lower Mainland, particularly crystal meth, a toxic drug popular with street youth, young women and frequenters of clubs and raves. [continues 422 words]
A new air and marine branch south of the border will do more than protect American citizens from terrorism and smugglers. Gary Bracken, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Air and Marine Operations, said beefing up enforcement in the air, on land and sea will enhance safety for Canadians. "Illegal activity goes both ways," Bracken said. Security afforded Americans by the new facility "reaches across to provide an additional level of security for Canadian citizens." "Illegal activity in either direction is stopped." [continues 355 words]
CANADIAN - U.S. BORDER - American investigators say a small group of Surrey marijuana growers smuggled millions of dollars in pot profits across the border last year. During a nine-month period, the 15 Canadians and Americans brought $2.6 million (U.S.) across the border on 16 occasions. In the same period, another $434,000 (U.S.) was intercepted at the border on four occasions by U.S. Customs agents who caught "couriers" with cash jammed into compartments in their vehicles or concealed on clothing. [continues 332 words]
