Pubdate: Tue, 26 Nov 2002
Source: Camrose Booster, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2002 The Camrose Booster
Contact:  http://www.camrosebooster.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2438
Author: Alan Randell
Note: MAP Editor title

REGARDING 'RENOWNED DETECTIVE'

Dear Editor:

(Re Renowned detective addresses perils of crystal meth use, Booster, Nov. 19).

I wonder if Tim Chamberlin and his colleagues thought to ask the "renowned 
detective" a few questions like these:

1. Why are you presented the program and not someone who really knows about 
drugs, such as a user or physician?

2. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms implies that citizens have the right 
to pursue their own form of happiness so long as they harm no one else. 
Thus it seems Canadians have the right to ingest any drug, however harmful. 
Why do you feel the government has the right to punish individuals for what 
they choose to ingest into their own bodies and jail those who supply them? 
(By "harm", I don't mean causing anguish to friends and family, otherwise 
we would jail all divorcing parents along with any kid who didn't do his or 
her homework. I mean direct, physical harm.)

3. If drugs are banned because they are harmful to users, why, then, are 
tobacco and alcohol not banned? Doesn't this seem unfair to those who 
prefer illegal drugs? If we ban one harmful drug, shouldn't we ban all 
harmful drugs?

4. Is it not true that, far from protecting users from harm, banning a drug 
harms them much more than would otherwise be the case because it cuts them 
off from access to drugs of known potency and purity? Weren't thousands of 
Americans poisoned or blinded by adulterated alcohol during Prohibition. 
Didn't the problems vanish when alcohol was legalized again?

5. The 1973 Le Dain Commission concluded, "There appears to be little 
permanent physiological damage from chronic use of pure opiate narcotics." 
Why, then, ban heroin?

6. If prohibition is so great, why did America give up on the prohibition 
of alcohol?

7. Is it not true that if drugs and prostitution were legalized, the power 
of the Hells Angels would be severely curtailed? After all, Prohibition 
created Al Capone, not the other way around.

8. Is it not true that if marijuana were legalized, marijuana grow 
operations would be no more dangerous, do no more damage and steal no more 
hydro than the average tomato grow operation?

For me, there is no more reason to punish drug users and dealers today than 
there was in the past to hang witches, lynch blacks, incarcerate Japanese 
Canadians or gas Jews.

Alan Randell

Victoria, BC
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MAP posted-by: Beth