WHEREAS communities in British Columbia continue to battle the deleterious effects of the use of Crystal Methamphetamine in their communities; AND WHEREAS the Province of British Columbia in past provided funding to local governments for education programs and programs to address the impacts of the use of Crystal Methamphetamine: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities request that the provincial government reinstate program funding for local government response to problems associated with the production and use of Crystal Methamphetamine.
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOLICITOR GENERAL The Province of British Columbia Province has provided nearly 2 million in provincial grant funds to 190 communities across the Province to assist their response to crystal methamphetamine. The grants have helped create approximately 30 crystal meth task forces and community coalitions, and have funded local crystal meth prevention, outreach and education activities. While these community grants have been dispersed, the Province continues to support community-based prevention efforts. In May 2007, the Crystal Meth Secretariat, Vancouver Island Health Authority, Centre for Addictions Research BC and UBCM staff sponsored the Building Community Strategies Conference in Nanaimo, bringing together groups and First Nations organizations on Vancouver Island who are responding to crystal meth in their communities. This conference fostered capacity building of these groups and served to inform efforts to establish a mechanism for ongoing information and resource sharing opportunities between these groups. The Crystal Meth Secretariat continues to examine ways to help strengthen community task forces, coalitions and other efforts at the local level in responding to the dangers of crystal meth use. Future community-based initiatives are planned for 200708 including a crystal meth conference in Prince George.