Canada has a problem with drug suppliers and the individuals that use these drugs. Canada has a unique way of dealing with the problem that has been working effectively. This is supply reduction, demand reduction, prevention, treatment, harm reduction and public education and The police and the communities all working together toward the goal of reducing drugs all over Canada. It is important to target the communities and make sure that they understand what the ongoing problem is so that they can contribute to eliminating the source. (University, 2011)
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The whole community must be involved in the needs of society when members are dealing drugs in their community. Individuals must not ignore this serious situation. It may not seem that dire if your neighbour is selling drugs but it really is that dire. There will be increased amount of traffic from individuals looking to purchase drugs at all hours of the day and night. It provides an unsafe environment for all the families that live near or around these types of unwanted behaviours. Drugs bring a whole list of concerns to the table such as many types of unwanted individuals will be trolling the neighbour from drug addicts to gangs. There is concern that there could be break-in on houses and cars because of drug addicts needing items to sell or trade for drugs.
Gang members are usually the ones mostly selling the drugs. This is because this is where they frequently get their primary source of income. This is so that they will be able to fund other illegal activities that will benefit them even more. The many types of illegal activities they could be involved in are organized prostitution, weapons related offences, smuggling of individuals, travel document counterfeiting or credit card skimming. Gangs use violence to increase their situation and use their unpleasant character to advance their illegal endeavors. Drug trafficking is commonly connected to other more serious crimes. It is often used to sponsor the more violent and detrimental behavior of the illegal terrorist organizations. This is because of the major cash remuneration resulting from moderately negligible time and venture. The types of drugs they tend to sell are crack cocaine, ecstasy, crystal methamphetamine and marijuana.
Gangs tend to sell drugs on the streets or from inside a home in communities. This can lead to turf wars or fights over drugs and who gets to sell in which territory. Drugs can be quite profitable if the gang has enough clients so situations of gang violence in communities can be worrisome to all involved living in and around these types of individuals. The problem with drugs is far reaching and has many consequences than just the end user because along the way many other illegal activities are occurring. A major concern is individuals making or growing drugs in houses. Houses in which have been used for growing marijuana need to be condemned, as they are not fit for living in due to number of health concerns. One such problem is the amount of mold due to all the moisture in the house. It is important to make sure that individuals are safe but there is a far larger concern than the growing of marijuana. One such problem would be the methamphetamine labs exploding are a huge concern as they affect the houses around them with a potential fire or even result in fatalities.
Individuals in the community must not fear speaking out against the drug dealers. It is important to notify the police and work with your communities to control the problem. Catching a problem before it explodes into a more severe problem assists to remove the situation from the communities. When individuals are on drugs this poses a danger to innocents such as children and pets when individuals are on drugs. Drugs cause individuals to fight and be disorderly in their conduct. Educating the public is important so that they understand what to look for and what they need to be reporting to make their community a safe place. Crime Stoppers are a great way for the general public to be able to make a complaint and help in eliminating drugs in their communities.
The Calgary Police Service has been effective in recruiting police officers that operates as the liaison between the police services and Crime Stoppers. The Calgary Police service’s Gang Strategy Unit and the Drug Unit working with Crime Stoppers, can do a lot to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of drugs. This could be in the form of recommending the users attend drug rehab or forcing them through arrests as part of a rehabilitation program. Making sure that the dealers and gang members are arrested and procedures are put in place so that they cannot easily have access to selling drugs. This could be through bail requirements or the sentencing of having a curfew, no cell phone usage, no associating with other known offenders. Many types of other offenses are involved with the problem of drugs. It is important that all the units work together to share vital information to allow for the most effective means of preventing the drugs on the streets and in homes. (The Calgary Police, 2011)
The Calgary Police Service and the Calgary’s Gang Strategy unit is dedicated to bringing to a halt the violent behavior and eliminating the illegal actions of the gangs that surround drug dealers. The Organized Crime Operations Centre or the OCOC has been developed to organize the prevalent resources essential to deal with the present gang predicament directly. The organization is able to exchange vital information, methods and demonstrated approach with other North American metropolitan cities that have effectively dealt with the illegal gang behavior. The Calgary Police Service has established an inclusive initiative to curb the gang’s unsuitable behavior. The Calgary Police Service has a four-point gang strategy, which is through education, prevention, investigation and disruption. (The Calgary Police, 2011)
“The Drug Unit coordinates investigations of illegal drug distribution within Calgary. It is responsible for investigating street-level drug dealers, targeting crack houses and other locations where drug use may be common. Certain officers are qualified to give expert testimony in court. Members of the Unit also deliver educational and awareness programs for various groups including schools, community associations and healthcare agencies.” (The Calgary Police, 2011)
It is important that the police and community are able to provide each other with valuable information. This is so that it keeps all organizations are current on the latest status of the safety of the communities. When communities work, together much can be achieved in terms of removing the unwanted behaviours from a particular community. Awareness is the key to initiating any type of investigation into drug issues. Undercover police are used to infiltrate the gangs that sell drugs to street level dealers.
The problems associated with drug abuse endure and continue to expand in most areas of the globe. The international abuse of prohibited drugs and the drug trafficking state of affairs is becoming further multifaceted. Many factors contribute to this including the recreational drug abuser with a higher disposable income; a increase in demand and ease of accessibility for most varieties of prohibited drugs; the cultural, economic and political transformations caused by the instant interactions and globalization that have been the forerunner to progressively more wide open borders between many different countries. The drug trade involves all aspects of problems that contribute to the increase of drugs all over the world in most countries. This would be through the producers, growers, users, suppliers, couriers and dealers. (University, 2011)
The illegal drugs are a substantial encumber on the Canadian economy and the individuals that abuse these substances. It has been estimated it may cost Canadians around $9 billion annually for the expanse of dealing with the drug issue. This would be including the court system, police services, imprisonment, productivity deficit, medical expenditures and work non-attendance. Those that are addicted to these illicit drugs can also be a threat to themselves, their families, and their communities. (University, 2011)
The approach that the Canadian government has taken towards the drug is much different from other countries such as the United States, which has had a war on drugs. Canada’s National Anti-Drug Strategy aims to prevent illegal drug use through these following methods: supply reduction, demand reduction, prevention, treatment, harm reduction. The strategy aims to enhance the necessary treatment programs, drug user’s health and everyone understanding of illegal drugs through education. (University, 2011)
“Community based programs are used to deal with deterrence, health endorsements, drug treatment, and harm reduction issues. Public education campaigns on substance use and drug abuse, with a specific focus on the youth, to provide Canadians with information to facilitate knowledgeable health and lifestyle decisions.” (University, 2011)
Supply Reduction is used to control the availability of drugs through stopping the production of crops, smuggling and trafficking. It is important to provide an alternative crop for farmers to grow if the illegal crop is to be prevented. If the drugs are not available for production or sale then supply reduction is working toward the intended goal. (University, 2011)
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Demand Reduction is meant to diminish the users or potential users from the drugs. This is through education and prevention programs that allows these individuals to learn more about the harm and damage of drugs in the hopes they will not use or they will discontinue using the drugs. The less people interested in purchasing the drugs the less demand a particular will have and the supply will be diminished from that point on. The drug treatment courts are a huge part of the demand reduction since they sentence drug users that have been charged with an offense due to their drug use. (University, 2011)
Prevention is by way of the Prevention Action Plan that teaches the youth about illegal drugs and the problems associated with illegal drug use in the hopes of achieving prevention before they even begin. It is important to provide all kinds of information and real people to tell their stories of the hardships they had to bear because of an addition. The Treatment Action Plan, which works toward being able to sustain groundbreaking and efficient advances in the areas of drug treatment. This is to be able to effectively deal with and provide proper aid in their recovery to the addiction of the illicit drugs. (University, 2011) Harm Reduction is
“used particularly for policies or programs that aim to reduce the harm without necessarily requiring abstinence. if they can be shown to reduce drug-related harm rather than just reduce use and if they are not coercive or punitive in their approach. Some harm reduction strategies designed to achieve safer drug use may, range from simple practices such as needle and syringe exchanges to reduce the rates of needle-sharing among injecting drug users, which can spread HIV, to the more complex such as methadone maintenance treatment, supervised consumption facilities, street testing of drugs, and heroin prescription.” (University, 2011)
Enforcement actions are vital for preserving a definite amount of power over the flow of drugs in addition to imparting a substantial appearance of the social contempt of drugs.
Illegal drug use is so complex and pervasive; it involves law enforcement at almost every turn. The justice-related costs associated with illicit drug use, including expenses for police, courts, and correctional services, have been estimated by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse at about $2 billion annually (University, 2011) (Rehm et al., 2006).
I agree with the way that the police force and the Canadian government have decided to deal with the drug problem. Educating and providing safe options is better than putting every drug user through court who has not committed a crime that deems an arrest. It is far too costly to deal with every drug user that exists within Canada. It is better to reduce the supply and availability of the unwanted drugs in the community. Educating the public is a far better option so that the community can understand all the factors of drugs and drugs users and the problem associated with this.
There will always be drugs as there will be people wanting to use them. The Canadian government understands these problems. They have therefore has taken a more proactive approach to reduce the amount of people interested in abusing drugs. They are effective in providing treatment and new habits that will aid the individuals in not being as debilitated. This is through education programs, health care and needle exchange programs. No one can win the war on drugs since there will always be individuals that want an illegal escape from reality. As long as the government deems it illegal, the allure will persist. It would not be a good idea to allow harsh drugs such as cocaine or crystal methamphetamine to be legal but marijuana should be legalized, if only to be one less problem for the police to deal with. This is because it takes such a toll on the justice system and the police force. Illegal drugs cause suffering and long-term abuse for the individual and it is important that these individuals are given a second chance at creating a new life.
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