Pubdate: Fri, 19 Sep 2003
Source: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser (CN ON)
Copyright: 2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing, & Distributing, LTD
Contact:  http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/info/ajax/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2104
Author: Mike LaPointe
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms)

DRUG WAR IS A FARCE, EFFORTS NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE

What Exactly Is The War On Drugs, Anyway?

'The war on drugs' is the buzzword forefather of today's popular 'weapons 
of mass destruction,' but at least we vaguely know what the latter 
catchphrase means. The war on drugs, on the other hand, seems to be an 
ongoing struggle that makes little progress (unless you cite the occasional 
arrest on 'COPS' a great leap forward towards ridding the world of 
substance abuse). Who is the enemy in this war? Is it the pathetic cousin 
who borrows money from every relative and always paws at his nose, or the 
stereotypical image of the Columbian drug lord slitting throats and 
exploiting the naiveties of our wholesome youth for his debauched benefit?

In actuality, the true enemy that constantly plagues the war on drugs is 
the government itself which seems either completely incapable or completely 
unwilling to attack the true root of this problem. We seek far too many 
easy answers, and don't spend enough time thoroughly investigating and 
subsequently curing substance addiction in our nation. Proof of this is 
Vancouver's recent decision to erect a 'safe injection site.' This centre 
is aimed at preventing the spread of syringe-transported disease amongst 
drug addicts. Those who are addicted to needle drugs can enter this 
building and, under medical supervision, 'safely inject' the drug. Those in 
charge supply you with a clean syringe and the government hopes to stifle 
the spread of such rampant diseases as Hepatitis.

The entire concept of a 'safe injection site' is completely off-kilter. For 
instance, how can you safely inject a drug that is detrimental to your body 
itself? There is no such thing as a safe injection of heroin; it simply 
isn't possible. But more importantly, this centre does nothing to actually 
battle the problem of drugs which in turn causes all the needle diseases it 
was set up to prevent. It simply perpetuates the problem of drug use, 
because I sincerely doubt the addicts they treat will inject every last one 
of their fixes in that centre. It provides nothing more than a place for 
addicts to occasionally attend and get a clean fix. Once they are back on 
the street they will continue using dirty needles, if convenient, rendering 
the centre completely irrelevant.

Even worse, this centre will divert necessary funds from treatment centres 
that rehabilitate those with addictions. These proven rehab centres gouge 
out the heart of the issue. They attack the cause, not the consequence. 
Battling the addictions should be the main focus of those commanding this 
'war on drugs.' No progress is made when all they attempt to do is maintain 
the status quo.

As a society we should take our focus away from the harrowing Columbian 
drug lord and concentrate efforts on the addiction, the source, the one 
true problem.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom