Report From Parliament's Hill: October 11th

By Prince George - Peace River M.P. Jay Hill

Tough on Drug Dealers … Compassion for Addicts

After more than a decade of empty Liberal promises to tackle the growing drug problem in this country, it’s understandable that many Canadians may have given scant attention to last week’s unveiling of Canada’s new National Anti-Drug Strategy by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 

So what’s different about the Conservative approach to illicit drugs?  Our strategy is tough on drug crime and compassionate for victims. With $63.8-million over two years, our goal is to prevent illegal drug use in young people, treat people who have drug addictions and fight illegal drug crime. 

Our approach will take action in three areas: prevention, treatment and enforcement.

Since studies demonstrate a growing number of Canadian youth are becoming involved with drugs at younger and younger ages, THE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN focuses on equipping parents, educators, law enforcement, and communities with the information and tools they need to intervene and prevent illicit drug use before it happens.

The Prevention Action Plan will refocus existing community-based prevention strategies, programs and services on youth; enhance school-based awareness programs and launch a new educational campaign to discourage drug use by young people.  We’ll also provide assistance to communities affected by drug-related crime.

THE TREATMENT ACTION PLAN supports innovative approaches to treating and rehabilitating individuals who pose a risk to themselves and the community.   We’ll work with the provinces to support drug treatment services where needed, and improve the treatment system by investing in better evaluation and data collection. 

Treatment and support for First Nations and Inuit will also be enhanced and we’ll provide diversion and treatment programs outside the justice system for young offenders with drug-related problems.
To complement drug prevention and treatment efforts, the ENFORCEMENT ACTION PLAN bolsters the capacity of law enforcement to combat marijuana grow operations and synthetic drug production and distribution operations.

Specifically, this enforcement will provide additional dedicated personnel to better detect, investigate, disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations involved in the production and distribution of illicit drugs and enhance the capacity to prosecute those responsible.

We’ll also crack down on the precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit drugs and inhibit the cross-border movement of these substances. 

We will attack organized crime, drug dealers and manufacturers where it matters by seizing the proceeds of their illicit drug-related crime.  Similarly, we’ll strengthen deterrence by increasing the penalties for serious drug crimes, including expedited deportation of non-citizens convicted of these offences.  And finally, we will develop an anti-drug strategy in federal prisons.  

No less than 11 federal departments and agencies are working on this new anti-drug strategy and we’ll be collaborating with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, community groups and non-governmental organizations.  Other partners include the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the Canadian Institute for Health Research.

Illicit drugs undermine healthy families and safe communities while fuelling organized crime and fostering petty crime.  Unlike previous governments, we’re not willing to throw in the towel when the health and safety of our communities is at risk.  We’re going to break Canada’s drug habit!

For further details go to www.nationalantidrugstrategy.gc.ca.

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