DRUG COMMITTEE NEEDED

At first glance a drug and alcohol committee may seem like an
unnecessary step for the village but if we dig a little deeper we can
see there is a need to address this problem.

Council admits that the problem of drugs may not be as bad in the
South Similkameen as other communities but that doesn't mean we can
afford to wait until it gets worse.

As scary as this sounds, the reality is that drugs are already in this
community and we need to have the resources to provide people with the
proper support.

We talk about crystal meth, a very scary drug, as a dangerous
substance but we have a lot more problems than that. We need to deal
with the marijuana that seemly grows wild in the Similkameen. Alcohol
is also a huge issue that is gripping this community that needs to be
addressed.

If we chose to stick our heads in the sand the problem won't go away.
If we do address these issues there are a lot of positives steps that
can be made to improve the quality of life in our community.

This committee isn't going to have an easy task and if it wants to go
farther than just talk in the council chambers, it is going to need
the support of the entire community. We all have to become involved if
we really want to have an impact on the drug problem.

We have to incorporate all sectors of our society which include, the
businesses, youth, first nations, community groups, religious
organizations and the RCMP just to name a few.

This issue is important and we can't afford to have any half attempts
at a committee.

We think the first thing council needs to address is what services are
already out there for people in the community. A lot of people may not
realize that there are organizations they can turn to for help,
including a drug and alcohol councillor.

This sounds like more money but the good news is that the provincial
government is prepared to help out.

We now have to get organized so we can go after that funding.