Methamphetamine is a real problem in Winnipeg. 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.
The Throne Speech laid out Tuesday is no mention of the province’s worsening meth crisis or a strategy to deal with it.
Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative government is temporarily halting any expansion of gambling in the province, and will also look at new rules against impaired driving. The government’s agenda for the coming year also includes plans to move more employable people off welfare and to simplify taxes and royalties for the oil and gas sector.
Despite many promises that a plan was forthcoming from the province, the throne speech contains nothing about dealing with the worsening meth crisis.
The Manitoba Nurses Union reported a 1,200 percent increase in meth-related emergency room visits since 2013 earlier this fall, and Winnipeg police have said dealing with people high on meth has stretched them beyond the limit.
On the campaign trail, Mayor Brian Bowman chastised the Province for moving too slowly to deal with the problem.
“We need action,” he said. “We needed action a long time ago.”
Premier Brian Pallister told reporters Tuesday that the throne speech isn’t the only time that governments make announcements. He said meth is not the only addiction problem in the province and that addicts often switch between different types of drugs.
Health minister Cameron Friesen told Global News in October that a comprehensive meth strategy is in the works, although the full details of that plan have yet to be made public.
Meth-related visits number is growing rapidly lately. Along with some patients that willingly come to the hospital to seek help, there are some, which are brought in by their family members against their will or even by police, if officers think detainee requires medical help to calm him down or in life-threatening cases. Such patients express anger and sometimes act violently towards the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.
So a lot of meth junkies come to hospitals and unfortunately when treated, may express anger, agitation, and violent behavior, hurting themselves and in some cases medical staff and damaging hospital property.
Methamphetamine is a real problem in Winnipeg, 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. Just recently there were a number of bike thefts, most of them were arrested later by Winnipeg Police and incidents linked to meth usage.
City authorities putting a lot of effort and pretty large funding dedicated to study and overcome Winnipeg`s meth problem.