Local stores that sell pipes and bongs are in city council’s crosshairs.
The city is looking for ways to prohibit or regulate the sale of items used in the consumption of illegal drugs. Council voted unanimously Monday to have administration explore “every possible measure that can be taken … to control or prohibit the selling of paraphernalia … that is best connected to the illegal drug industry.”
Coun. Cam MacKay brought the motion forward.
“Without businesses like this, I’m sure that drug use wouldn’t be as high,” he said.
Administration is to draft a report by Oct. 31. It is to explore options such as:
• police involvement;
• business licensing;
• land planning/zoning;
• inspection requirements;
• age restrictions;
• advertising limitations;
• drug sniffing dogs;
• unique fees.
MacKay said he made a campaign promise to several residents, including a mother whose daughter had her mental capacity hampered by illegal drug use.
There are two shops in St. Albert that specialize in merchandise related to drug culture. MacKay said he visited both shops and at one of them witnessed youth shopping for a drug scale.
“When I see five young kids that have got their lives ahead of them and they’re walking into a store that’s giving them all the tools they need to either consume or sell drugs to other kids … if we can make it that much more difficult for them to get into that kind of lifestyle, I’d certainly support that,” he said.
There are currently no restrictions on the sale or display of items like bongs and pipes.
MacKay said he’d be satisfied with restricting sales to people over 18.
Mayor Nolan Crouse, on the other hand, would like to get rid of the stores altogether.
“I don’t want those two businesses in town. They can leave town tomorrow as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
Stores specializing in drug-related items don’t fit with the city’s efforts to foster productive youth, Crouse said.
Last year Crouse unsuccessfully tried to ban adult stores and strip clubs from the city altogether. His fall election campaign included many references to turning red tape into green tape so businesses would choose St. Albert.
That philosophy doesn’t apply to these two stores. In fact, he wants to make it as difficult as possible for the stores to locate in St. Albert or subject them to intense scrutiny to ensure they’re operating legally.
“If we don’t want to attract these businesses, why won’t we want to repel them?” he said.
Crouse said he’s visited both local stores. At one of them, he saw a group of three youth, aged 13 or 14.
“Their eyes were wide as saucers as they looked at all the pipes and paraphernalia,” Crouse said.
The owner of one local specialty store, who didn’t want his name in the paper, pointed out that some convenience stores also sell pipes and bongs.
“I don’t know why they’re coming down hard on us,” he said.
Police have visited both local stores and have done no enforcement because all the products, while associated with illegal drugs, also have a legal use, said Insp. Warren Dosko of the St. Albert RCMP.
“I’m not happy that we have a store in our community that sells products that are used for an illegal purpose,” Dosko said. “The products they sell all have a legal purpose as well and that’s where it becomes a very difficult situation.”
St. Albert isn’t the only city to target businesses of this type. A desire to control the sale of drug pipes has Edmonton city council exploring whether to pass bylaws to restrict their display, sale to minors or restrict zoning.
