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Do you have diabetes? The Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and your local Diabetes Centres invite adults with diabetes living in Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills or South Etobicoke to give their input into improving diabetes services by completing a 5 minute online survey at www.mississaugahaltonlhin.on.ca The Mississauga Halton LHIN is one of 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) established by the Government of Ontario in order to plan, fund, and monitor health care services at the local level. For more information, please contact: www.mississaugahaltonlhin.on.ca or call (905) 337-7131. 12 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, September 12, 2008 The Halton Regional Police Service is attempt- ing to grab up all the lead-free training ammuni- tion it can after receiving news that an interna- tional shortage of the sought-after bullets could soon limit the supply available. In a recent report to the Halton Police Services Board, Police Chief Gary Crowell noted that he had authorized the purchase of 500,000 rounds of training ammunition for a total expenditure not to exceed $108,593. This acquisition was an over-expenditure of the Training Bureau-approved budget, said Crowell in the report. However, there are suffi- cient savings in other areas of the budget to offset the overrun. The use of lead-free bullets is preferred for training purposes because when they are fired there is less lead dust, smoke and barrel residue. Crowell noted because lead is a toxic, regulat- ed metal that can cause health problems, firing regular bullets at a police firing range is not advised. This is particularly true because the police training course is five months. It could significantly increase the lead dust to which training officers are subjected. The international shortage of lead-free ammu- nition, resulting from increased use by the United States military, other U.S. government agencies and U.S. law enforcement groups, has manufacturers rationing available supply. A shortage in the raw materials needed to make training bullets is also being blamed for the current supply problems. Currently, lead-free ammunition obtained by distributors is being allocated to police agencies on a first-come first- serve basis with police agen- cies being told recently, that they should plan on a six-to-eight month wait from the time a pur- chase order is received by lead-free ammunition suppliers. In the meantime, the Halton training unit will reduce the number of rounds given to each mem- ber for training purposes from 700 to 500. Halton Police currently have 90,000 rounds of training ammunition available, but need 300,000 to meet requirements for the remainder of 2008. By David Lea, special to the IFP Police service attempting to buy hard-to-find lead-free bullets