by Glenn Taylor
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Dec 05/97) - The RCMP have gone to the dogs this week.

Lux, a German shepherd from the Whitehorse detachment, was in town this week to sniff for illegal drugs, while spreading the message of a drug-free lifestyle to students in the region.

The dog visited Inuvik schools Monday, and was expected to visit Fort McPherson, Tuk and Aklavik this week before returning to his Yukon kennel.

Lux was also expected to visit regional airports this week, checking for illegal drugs arriving on airplanes, according to RCMP Cpl. Rob Gillan.

The Inuvik RCMP have taken a more aggressive role in weeding out illegal drugs in Inuvik this year, according to RCMP Cpl. Sean Neary. The incidence of drug use does not appear to be on the rise, said Neary, but the detachment has decided to focus more aggressively on the problem this year.

Several parents who attended last month's District Education Authority meeting learned more about how to detect drug use among their children.

The RCMP drug section's Len DelPino brought an information kit to the meeting, to show parents what drugs look like, and how to recognize if their children might be using them. DelPino also visited both schools and spread a drug-free lifestyle message with the kids.

Lux hadn't found any illegal drugs during his regional tour by press time, according to Gillan. But he did help the detachment spread the word that drug-use will not be tolerated by the RCMP, and will be sniffed out at every opportunity.

Lux is 2 years old, and was trained at the RCMP dog headquarters in Innisfail, Alta. Gillan said the dog may be back to the region in the future. But for now, the local detachment can't afford a dog of their own. "It's a pretty expensive proposition," said Gillan.