Steinbach MLA, Kelvin Goertzen, spent the early part of the new session of the Manitoba Legislature questioning the NDP government on the amount of information that is being provided to students on deadly drugs and the prevalence of drugs in Manitoba schools.
“The issue of drugs in schools is something that has been raised as a concern by students, teachers and parents. There is a feeling that the availability of drugs in schools is increasing and that the types of drugs being made available are more deadly than ever before,” said Goertzen.
On Friday Goertzen asked the new NDP Minister of Education James Allum whether there was any information being provided to students about the prescription drug Fentanyl, a powerful pain killer that has been sold as a street drug. The question follows a recent drug bust in Steinbach where there was alleged illegal selling of Fentanyl. The Minister of Education refused to answer the question.
“Both the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba and local law enforcement have sounded the alarm about this drug and the fact many young people may not know what it is when it is presented to them. Knowledge is a powerful tool for young people in combating drug use and I was disappointed the Education Minister did not address this issue,” said Goertzen.
On Monday Goertzen asked the Education Minister how many times drugs were found in Manitoba schools last year and how many suspensions or other consequences occurred for drug use by students. The Minister of Education was unable to provide any information.
“It’s not good enough for the NDP to talk about how keeping drugs out of our schools is important,” said Goertzen. “We need to actually be keeping track of what is going on across the province so we can tell if things are getting better or worse and if strategies to reduce drugs in schools are working.”
