Methamphetamine is a real problem in Canada, the majority of people involved are youth and older teenagers. There is a study conducted by Winnipeg Police department about how people on meth are no longer productive, so they have to find other ways to get money to fuel their addiction and get more drugs. People on meth turn to pity theft and other, more serious crimes. Bike theft, residential break-ins, garage theft is now a rising problem in the city. It appears that Manitoba’s “Grand Plan” for combating illicit drugs is being postponed.
The long-awaited plan to combat the meth-crisis in Manitoba may not begin as expected.
Health Minister Cameron Friesen promised a plan to overcome the local methamphetamine crisis in October, but on Tuesday morning, a report from a new task force to combat drug trafficking said the plan would not be available to the public until June 2019.
The three-level task force includes provincial, federal, and municipal leaders who will jointly respond to the rapid increase in the use and distribution of methamphetamine throughout the province.
“The problems associated with illicit drug use destroy families, damage communities, cross borders of all jurisdictions and require a joint and coordinated response from all levels of government,” says Frisen.
Winnipeg was expecting a comprehensive anti-drug strategic plan, as the methamphetamine consumption increased significantly.
Dr. Poulin, Medical Director of the Manitoba Addiction Foundation (AFM), said that today it is the most common drug among people seeking help from AFM institutions, with an increase of more than 50 percent in the past few years. Poulin says that the low cost and availability of the drug is one of the main reasons for its rise to the top of the illicit drug market in Manitoba.
Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said on Tuesday that the city council voted unanimously to create a three-tier government structure.
“Police continue to name methamphetamine as the key factor in violent crime in our city, and the government can’t successfully solve the problems of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs,” he said.
“Efforts are needed from all levels of government to find ways to strengthen prevention and treatment, as well as law enforcement, and this created task force is precisely for this.”
The task of the target group is to develop practical recommendations for combating the use and distribution of meth and other illegal drugs, including opioids and cocaine. It will be co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Health Karen Hurd and Michael Jack, chief specialist in corporate services for the city.
Their work will be to identify areas for improvement of existing programs related to prevention, treatment, and containment. They will also identify areas for improvement in law enforcement, seek advice from medical, social and law enforcement agencies and much more.
Drug trafficking problem is on a rise in Canada for the last couple of years. Winnipeg authorities started a full-scale investigation into city`s meth problem. As per Winnipeg Police, there is a spike in meth-related crime incidents, like property theft, residential break-ins, unreasonable anger towards each other (meth users) and other people around them, violent attacks, some ending up in lethal outcomes for victims.