COPS RIGHT TO CLAMP DOWN ON RARE FORM OF DRUG ABUSE

Winnipeg Police have laid a rare charge that tackles a dangerous form
of drug abuse.

Police allege a local convenience store sold mouthwash and hairspray
to street people its staff knew would use the products to get high.

The Liquor Control Act charge followed a six-day investigation, said police.

It's alleged the items were sometimes sold in large quantities or at
prices inflated from around $3 each to as much as $15 per item to
maximize profits.

The offence of "selling a non-potable intoxicating substance for
consumption" carries no set fine and the charge was only used a
handful of times in the past few years, according to the Manitoba
Liquor Control Commission.

If the charges prove accurate, we should be grateful police devoted
the time and resources to follow this case.

It's disturbing to think any business would target the poorest
substance abusers in Winnipeg to make a quick buck.

This is a clientele so desperate to get high they're willing to drink
or inhale toxic chemicals in cleaners and toiletries.

They clearly shouldn't be anyone's target market.

As Theresa Saunders, director of patron services at Siloam Mission
told Sun Media this week, there's no excuse for carrying out this crime.

"It's hard to have respect for anyone that condones or is part of the
cycle of someone's addiction," Saunders said. "You're not showing
anyone dignity as a human being when you're doing that."

For the particular store questioned in this case, these charges have
not been proven in court.

But when you consider the difficulty in proving this type of offence,
it's encouraging that this charge is ever laid.

It's no easy task to prove a store or employee purposely sold a legal
product knowing that it would be abused.

This could never occur without at least a few days of surveillance,
which would be needed to prevent the unfair punishment of sales
people who make rare, innocent errors.

Yet a glimpse back in recent Winnipeg history at the effects of
solvent and non-potable alcohol abuse indicates there is ample need
for such a law.

For years, West Broadway pharmacy owner Larry Leroux has pushed for
tougher laws against stores that intentionally profit off this type
of addiction.

In his own store, he moved products that could be abused behind the
counter to make clients of concern easier to refuse. A few years ago,
Leroux, chairman of the Non-potable Alcohol and Inhalant Abuse
Committee, estimated solvent abuse kills about 50 Canadians each year.

Albert Ratt, who beat his addiction to rubber cement and gasoline
fumes, showed up to support Leroux's cause in 2006. One year into his
habit, Ratt was living on the streets, panhandling for money and
sleeping on riverbanks.

He said highly addictive solvents allowed him to escape reality
within five or 10 seconds.

Ratt lost three friends to the deadly habit and suffered an irregular
heartbeat, learning difficulties and stomach damage long after he quit.

Back on Aug. 2, 2000, a homeless man and known sniffer named Charlie
died in Winnipeg, surrounded by empty solvent containers.

Sniffers can also become frequent victims of violence, as they are
often outdoors in compromised states.

Gregory Wayne Kipling, for example, struggled with substance abuse
before he was fatally attacked in a West End back lane in 2007.

Unfortunately, the danger of this type of substance abuse extends far
beyond the addict.

In 2005, fetal solvent syndrome became an epidemic in several
Manitoba First Nations and Winnipeg's inner city.

FSS can occur when a pregnant woman sniffs solvents, gasoline or
glue. At one point, an estimated 50% of those under the age of 18
living on Pauingassi First Nation were addicted to solvents.

An individual on this quick, toxic high can also be prone to severe
mood swings and commit crimes in a drug-induced rage.

In one bizarre 2007 case, a Winnipeg man drinking and sniffing
solvents with a long-time friend suddenly decided to pour solvent on
his drinking partner and light her on fire, causing serious burns to
her arm and face.

In the context of this high risk to public safety, it's nice to see
police make a dedicated effort to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

More than 1,400 products can be abused as inhalants, including glue,
nail polish remover, gasoline, paint thinner and cleaning products,
some of which have an alcohol volume near 90%.

Most can kill in one dose.

Laws meant to prevent that loss and so many others are simply worth having.