Pubdate: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 The Province Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Dee Dee Billy, Avril Fishburne, Alison Wilson WILL BEER AND SMOKES BE FREE TOO? Free heroin for addicts coming soon to an area near you, three times a day - -- a multi-million-dollar program proposed by two of Vancouver's top medical researchers. Has the world gone stark-raving mad? What about providing health care for the old folks? I like beer and cigarettes. Will I be able to get these items free too? Not likely, because my dealer happens to be the government. Dee Dee Billy, Burnaby NEXT? FREE LIQUOR FOR DRUNKS? One wonders what's next on the agenda for health-research funding -- free liquor for impaired drivers? Weapons for criminals? The list is endless. What a colossal waste of taxpayers' money. Avril Fishburne, Vancouver WHY SHOULD TAXPAYERS FUND JUNKIES? Why should taxpayers fund people who depend on a steady daily drug supply? It's bad enough that they get their needles exchanged for free. Now officials want to provide the product and a safe place to do this disgusting thing. People who need medicines to stay alive now have to pay, and people are having surgeries cancelled at the last minute because of a lack of hospital beds. What is this government thinking when it cuts back on essentials that provide proper health care but is willing to spend on people who did not say no to drugs? Yes, help them. But not for free. Alison Wilson, Delta - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager