New Minister acknowledges meth problem: INGREDIENTS CRACKDOWN:
Date: Thursday, June 23 @ 16:21:19 PDT
Topic: Government
Les wants to end 'scourge,' but still working on timetable - Vancouver Province
June 19-05- Page A-20
Byline: Ian Bailey
VICTORIA -- The minister newly appointed to deal with B.C.'s crystal-meth crisis is committed to a crackdown on sales of routine products that can make the addictive drug -- but says he needs time to come up with the details.
"There's probably going to have to be a variety of responses we're going to have to put in place," Solicitor-General John Les said Friday, less than 24 hours after he was sworn in to his new post. "Dealing with components is one of those."
Pressed for a timetable, the former small business and economic development minister would only say "the sooner the better."
Les, who served for 13 years as mayor of Chilliwack before being elected to the legislature as MLA for Chilliwack-Sumas in 2001, replaces Rich Coleman as B.C.'s "top cop".
Coleman recently said his staff was looking at restrictions on the products used to make methamphetamine.
Though he had few policy details to offer, Les said he sees meth as a major problem.
"Crystal meth, as far as I am concerned, is one of the most immediate scourges in our communities that we have to deal with," he said.
"It's terrible what's happening in terms of some of our young people. In some cases, it's one encounter with crystal meth and their lives are ruined, in terms of their health."
NDP Leader Carole James urged Les to act quickly on the issue. "This is urgent. This is an area that needs to have leadership from the provincial government," she said.
James proposed an agenda that would see Les get up to speed on ideas discussed at a recent meeting of provincial ministers from Western Canada, create a system to track sales of large quantities of meth ingredients and consult various groups now showing leadership in the fight against crystal meth.
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